trust savings hill argued may decided june roy rucker sedalia petitioner lieutellus cunningham jefferson city respondent justice brandeis delivered opinion trust savings company acting trustee shareholders brought suit missouri treasurer henry county enjoin collecting attempting collect certain part taxes assessed year shares stock pending decision suit restrain prosecution action already brought plaintiff purpose bill alleged township assessor intentionally systematically discriminated shareholders assessing bank stock full value intentionally systematically omitting assess certain classes property assessing classes property per cent less value asserted extent per assessments void discrimination violated equal protection clause fourteenth amendment recited plaintiff tendered continuing tender payment per cent taxes assessed amount conceded due grounds equity jurisdiction bill charged relief law either way defense pending action brought treasurer paying tax full protest suing refund per cent thereof administrative remedy relief sought ever provided law either appeal otherwise county board equalization state board equalization defendant answer denied allegations discrimination opposed relief equity grounds plaintiff pursued remedies county state board equalization pursuant articles chapter missouri revised statutes sections plaintiff guilty laches trial refused injunction dismissed bill without opinion findings fact missouri held appeal relief alleged discriminatory assessment suit law bill equity appropriate remedy unless relief timely application administrative board neither boards equalization charged power duty grant relief without passing definitely upon question discrimination concluded plaintiff time tax books delivered collector filed complaint state tax commission body proper exercise jurisdiction granted hearing heard evidence respect valuations complained charges contained complaint found true valuations placed property lowered property raised property omitted assessment roll placed thereon discrimination complained thereby removed remedy provided statute adequate certain complete compare first national bank greeley weld county held therefore plaintiff quate legal remedy entitled equitable relief plaintiff complained tax commission clearly guilty laches grounds affirmed judgment trial powers duties state tax commission prescribed article chapter revised statutes sections six years suit begun provisions construed missouri laclede land improvement state tax commission mo required determine whether commission power grant relief character sought commission refused ground lack power application relief discrimination similar alleged laclede company petitioned mandamus compel commission hear complaint denied petition saying statute conferred power commission statute thus construed violate section article constitution missouri decision thereafter consistently acted upon commission followed later cases one doubted authority laclede case expressly overruled case bar defendant answer asserted plaintiff availed administrative remedies articles chapter application boards equalization guilty laches contentions state held unsound answer significantly omitted contention remedy application state tax commission whose powers dealt intervening article possibility relief tax commission suggested one entire litigation filed opinion june late plaintiff avail newly found remedy decision application tax commission made tax books delivered collector done october plaintiff seasonably filed petition rehearing recited facts asserted addition claims merits applying new construction article chapter case bar refusing relief newly found powers commission transgressed due process clause fourteenth amendment additional federal claim thus made timely since raised first opportunity missouri ex rel missouri ins gehner ed petition denied without opinion granted certiorari ed opinion judgment missouri must reversed denied plaintiff process term primary sense opportunity heard defend substantive right first plain practical effect judgment missouri deprive plaintiff property without affording time opportunity heard defense plaintiff asserted invasion substantive right federal constitution equality treatment greene louisville interurban ann cas sioux city bridge dakota county allegations complaint established federal constitution conferred upon plaintiff right assessments abated per cent order protect property seized payment part tax alleged unlawful plaintiff invoked appropriate judicial remedy provided state second employers liability cases settled law state remedy one available bill equity appropriate power grant relief even new construction statute dealing tax commission questioned held state case judicial remedy open plaintiff administrative remedy state tax commission provided decision laclede case entirely futile plaintiff apply commission body persistently refused entertain applications state supported refusal thus june opinion case bar delivered tax commission rule laclede case grant relief plaintiff entitled facts alleged june commission grant relief plaintiff decision case time commission act long expired obviously therefore time state provide plaintiff administrative remedy alleged illegal tax invoking appropriate judicial remedy plaintiff omit comply existing condition precedent montana national bank yellowstone county judgment permitted stand deprivation plaintiff property accomplished without ever opportunity defend exaction state refused hear plaintiff complaint denied relief lack power demerit complaint assuming power merit plaintiff first seek administrative remedy fact never available open thus denying remedy ever available enforcement right prevent seizure property judgment deprives plaintiff property second result stated attained exercise state legislative power transgression due process clause fourteenth amendment obvious ettor tacoma violation none less clear result accomplished state judiciary course construing otherwise valid first national bank greeley weld county state statute federal guaranty due process extends state action judicial well legislative executive administrative branch government true courts state power interpret declare written unwritten laws state power review decisions state courts limited decisions federal questions mere fact state rendered erroneous decision question state law overruled principles doctrines established previous decisions party relied give rise claim fourteenth amendment otherwise confer appellate jurisdiction decision case bar based ground retrospective denial existence right retroactive change law remedies concerned rights plaintiff merits although may observed plaintiff claim one arising federal constitution consequently one opinion state final accuracy state construction statute either laclede case case bar present concern solely question whether plaintiff accorded due process primary opportunity present case heard support undoubtedly state power construe statute dealing state tax commission overrule laclede case neither matters raises federal question neither subject review state courts determine adjective well substantive law state must accord parties due process law whether acting judiciary legislature state may deprive person existing remedies enforcement right state power destroy unless afforded real opportunity protect compare postal telegraph cable newport third finding laches predicated entirely plaintiff failure apply state tax commission view said ground sufficient independently support judgment missouri decide whether allegations plaintiff bill sustained proof inquire merits plaintiff claim equal protection clause judgment reversed case remanded proceedings inconsistent opinion reversed justice mcreynolds hear argument took part decision case footnotes boonville national bank schlotzhauer mo taxpayer represented counsel represent plaintiff relief sought bill equity like discrimination without prior application state tax commission missouri required decide whether taxpayer invoked appropriate remedy held elaborate opinion mention tax commission remedy pursued appropriate one taxpayer entitled relief thereby facts alleged proved see also jefferson city bridge transit blaser mo columbia terminals koeln mo state baker mo state dirckx mo sup reason prompted overrule laclede case thus stated opinion doubtful whether evidence case warrants finding local assessor intentionally systematically undervalued real estate personal property listed bank stock question failure assess sucking animals poultry intentional pursuant system owners bank stock entitled abatement portion taxes property undervalued appear principle taxpayers state entirely relieved far taxes concerned owners poultry taxed seems necessary rechart course equitable relief denied solely equitable doctrines plaintiff adequate legal remedy application commission guilty laches pursuing compare turner new york saranac land timber comptroller crane hahlo atchafalaya land williams cypress ownbey morgan compare pennoyer neff standard oil missouri ann cas frank mangum moore dempsey kryger wilson mount mary cemetery mullins quong ham wah industrial accident fox river paper railroad central land laidley patterson colorado ann cas willoughby chicago northern colorado irrigation dunbar city new york rooker fidelity trust tidal oil flanagan american railway express kentucky long line decisions holding provision section article federal constitution protecting obligation contracts state action directed impairment legislation judgments courts see tidal oil flanagan note likewise reference ex post facto laws kring missouri ross oregon frank mangum process trial error change decision order conform changing ideas conditions traditional courts administering common law since state courts interpret declare law state correct errors declare law well state courts like may ordinarily overrule decisions without offending constitutional guaranties even though parties may acted prejudice faith earlier decisions doctrine gelpcke dubuque wall butz muscatine wall like swift tyson pet applied confined strictly cases arising federal courts fleming fleming tidal oil flanagan const electrical installation bacon texas central land laidley previous construction statute highest plaintiff course assume risk ultimate interpretation highest might differ likewise administrative remedy still available plaintiff denial due process regard