Just this sort of thing has been recently happening. The state
authorities began to realize that their lax methods of railway
supervision were being used as an argument for increased Federal
interference. So the state governments arose in their might and began
furiously to "regulate" the railroads. Commissions were constituted or
re-constituted, and extremely drastic powers were granted to these
officials in respect to the operation of the railroads, the rates and
the fares charged, and their financial policies. Bills were passed
severely restricting the rights which companies had enjoyed of owning
the stock of connecting railroads. Many of the states sought to forbid
the companies from charging more than two cents a mile for passenger
fares. The issuing of passes except under severe restrictions was made
illegal. The railroad companies were suddenly confronted by a mass of
hostile and conflicting legislation which represented for the most part
an honest attempt to fulfill a neglected responsibility, but whose
effort on the whole merely embarrassed the operations of the roads, and
which in many instances failed to protect the real public interests
involved.
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