Peterson v. Billings

Mr. Justice Morris :

I dissent. It is not important as to which of the parties of this controversy shall prevail except as it affects their own fortunes, but it is vitally important that this court observe legislative mandates as to the construction of statutory provisions, and it is likewise vital that we conform to the rule of stare decisis and not overrule former decisions of this court unless the reasoning in such cases is clearly unsound and the construe tion of statutes clearly erroneous. This much we owe to the many eminent jurists whose learning and profound reasoning we find in many…