Terry v. Adams

Justice Minton, in his dissent, noted, "I am not concerned in the least as to what happens to the Jaybirds or their unworthy scheme. I am concerned about what this Court says is state action within the meaning of the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution." Minton felt that the Supreme Court only had the power to right a wrong under that amendment if the wrong was done by the state. Minton believed that the Jaybird Democratic Association was not part of the Democratic party and made no attempt to use the state to carry on its primary election. He felt that the Jaybirds conducted a straw vote, as individuals, to see who should receive the association's endorsement for county offices and that the association was nothing more than a pressure group. Minton noted that the majority in this case concluded that the association's activities constituted state action. He felt that this conclusion was based on a dislike of the goals of the Jaybird Association. Although Minton also disliked their goals, he still did not feel that their activities constituted state action and thus should not be covered by the Fifteenth Amendment.