Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/189/154/
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 10:58:33+00:00

Document:
The mere averment of the existence of a federal question is not sufficient to give this Court jurisdiction, but, as held in Hamblin v. Western Land Company, 147 U. S. 531, a real, and not a fictitious, federal question is essential to the jurisdiction of this Court over the .judgments of state courts. Where the only federal question alleged is that the refusal of the state court to allow the plaintiff in error to file a supplementary answer in a suit, in which foreclosure and sale had been decreed and sustained by the highest court of the state, was a taking of property without due process of law, and a denial of the equal protection of the laws, and the trial court does not appear to have abused its discretion, there is no real federal question involved, and the writ of error will be dismissed.
of the equitable mortgage, and the refusal of the plaintiff to accept such offer, and asserting that thereby the plaintiff had waived the lien of such equitable mortgage and precluded himself from foreclosing the same, and further, that a judgment in plaintiff's favor foreclosing said lien for any sum would deprive them of property without due process of law, and deny to them the equal protection of the laws. The court declined to permit the filing of such supplementary answer, amended its findings of fact and conclusions of law so as to show that the defendants had defaulted in the monthly payments referred to, and that therefore the equitable mortgage had become due, and entered a decree of foreclosure thereof and for the sale of the mortgaged premises. This decree was taken to the supreme court and affirmed, 78 Minn. 221, and thereupon this writ of error was sued out.
"the protection guaranteed to all citizens of the United States by the provisions of section 10 of Article I of the Constitution of the United States and of section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States."
"A real, and not a fictitious, federal question is essential to the jurisdiction of this Court over the judgments of state courts. Millinger v. Hartupee, 6 Wall. 258; New Orleans v. New Orleans Water Works Co., 142 U. S. 79, 142 U. S. 87. In the latter case, it was said that"
"the bare averment of a federal question is not, in all cases, sufficient. It must not be wholly without foundation. There must be at least color of ground for such averment; otherwise, a federal question might be set up in almost any case, and the jurisdiction of this Court invoked simply for the purpose of delay."
See also Wilson v. North Carolina, 169 U. S. 586; St. Joseph & Grand Island Railroad Co. v. Steele, 167 U. S. 659; New Orleans Waterworks Co. v. Louisiana,185 U.S. 336.
well as the supreme court, and the decision was that which right and justice demanded. There is no merit in the defense which was sought to be interposed, and certainly nothing which calls upon this Court to interfere with the decision of the state court.

References: v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v.