Nathan Clifford, Supervisors v. United States (85 U.S. 71…
“ Where the construction of a State statute is involved in a case presented here for decision, and it appears that the statute in question has not been construed by the State court, I hold that it is the duty of this court to ascertain and determine what is its true construction, and that this court, under such circumstances, will not reverse its decision in the same or a subsequent case, even though the State court may afterwards give a different construction to the same statute. ”
