In the 1895 case of Webster v. Daly, the U.S. Supreme Court dealt with a dispute over land ownership in California. The plaintiff, Webster, claimed that he had purchased a parcel of land from one James G. Fair and sought to evict the defendant, Daly, who was occupying it under an alleged lease from Fair's wife Theresa Fair Oelrichs and her sister Virginia Fair Vanderbilt (the Fairs). The main issue revolved around whether or not Mr. Fair had been legally separated from his wife at the time of sale; if so, then she would have no claim to his property. The court found that although there was evidence suggesting separation between Mr. and Mrs.Fair prior to his death - including separate residences and allegations of infidelity on both sides - this did not constitute legal separation under California law as they never obtained a formal divorce decree or executed any deed separating their properties during their lifetime. Therefore Mrs.Fair retained rights over her husband’s estate after his death which included leasing out part of it to Daly.The court ruled in favor of Daly stating that he could continue occupying the disputed property as per terms agreed upon with Mrs.Fair.

In the dissenting opinion for Webster v. Daly, it was argued that the majority's decision to uphold a lower court ruling against a man who had been denied his right to vote because he could not pay a poll tax was in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. The dissenting justices believed that this amendment guaranteed equal protection under law and therefore prohibited states from denying any citizen their right to vote based on their inability to pay taxes or fees. They also pointed out that such laws disproportionately affected African Americans and other minority groups, further violating principles of equality enshrined in the Constitution. Furthermore, they contended that voting is an essential aspect of citizenship and should not be restricted by financial means or status.