In the 1917 case Wells v. Roper, First Assistant Postmaster General of the United States, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Mr. Wells who was a postmaster at a third-class post office and had been dismissed from his position by an executive order for political reasons. The court held that under federal law, only Congress has the power to remove such officers from their posts without cause or due process. Therefore, it was unlawful for any other entity or individual to dismiss him solely based on his political affiliations or beliefs. This decision upheld civil service protections against politically motivated firings and established important precedents regarding separation of powers within government branches.

In the dissenting opinion for Wells v. Roper, it was argued that the Postmaster General did not have the authority to terminate a contract with Wells without providing him an opportunity to be heard. The justice believed this action violated due process rights under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. He further contended that while Congress had granted certain powers to postal authorities, these should not supersede constitutional protections afforded to individuals. This included protection from arbitrary and capricious actions by government officials such as termination of contracts without cause or hearing. Therefore, he disagreed with majority's decision upholding Postmaster General's right to unilaterally cancel contracts based on his discretion alone.