The Brooks-Scanlon Company v. Railroad Commission of Louisiana case in 1919 revolved around the issue of whether a state could regulate rates for a private carrier that was not engaged in public transportation. The Brooks-Scanlon Company owned and operated a railroad solely for its own use, primarily transporting logs from forests to mills within Louisiana. However, it occasionally carried passengers and freight for hire when requested by local residents. The Railroad Commission of Louisiana sought to impose regulations on these occasional services, which the company challenged as unconstitutional interference with interstate commerce. The U.S Supreme Court ruled against the company stating that even though their primary business was not public transportation, they had made themselves available as such by carrying passengers and goods upon request; therefore subjecting them to state regulation under police power over intrastate commerce. This decision upheld states' rights to regulate businesses operating within their borders while also maintaining federal control over interstate commerce.

In the dissenting opinion for Brooks-Scanlon Company v. Railroad Commission of Louisiana, it was argued that the state had a right to regulate businesses within its jurisdiction and ensure they provide essential services to communities. The justice disagreed with the majority's view that forcing a private company to operate at a loss violated constitutional rights. Instead, he believed that when companies accept privileges from states (like land grants or tax exemptions), they also accept certain obligations - including continuing service even during periods of financial hardship. He felt this case set an alarming precedent where corporations could abandon public duties whenever profits were threatened, leaving citizens without vital resources like transportation or utilities.