In the case of Ward v. Cochran, 1893, the U.S Supreme Court dealt with a dispute over land ownership in Kansas. The plaintiff, Ward, claimed that he had purchased a piece of land from an individual who was part of an Indian tribe and thus had legal rights to sell it under federal law. However, the defendant Cochran argued that this sale was invalid because at the time it took place (in 1860), Congress had passed legislation stating that such lands could only be sold with government approval - which hadn't been obtained in this instance. The court ruled in favor of Cochran on two grounds: firstly they found no evidence proving that the seller belonged to any recognized tribe or band; secondly even if he did belong to one such group his right to sell would still have been restricted by federal laws governing tribal lands sales during those years. This decision underscored how property transactions involving Native American lands were subject not just to ordinary state laws but also specific federal regulations aimed at protecting indigenous communities' interests.

The dissenting opinion in the case of Ward v. Cochran, 1893, argued that the majority's decision to uphold a state law requiring liquor dealers to pay an annual tax was unconstitutional. The dissenters believed that this law violated the Fourteenth Amendment by depriving individuals of their property without due process of law and denying them equal protection under the laws. They contended that it was not within a state's power to levy such taxes on specific businesses or industries, as it unfairly targeted certain groups and could potentially lead to abuses of power. Furthermore, they asserted that this type of taxation did not serve any legitimate public purpose but rather seemed intended solely for revenue generation purposes which is against constitutional principles.