In the case of Interstate Commerce Commission v. Illinois Central Railroad Company, 1909, the U.S Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Illinois Central Railroad Company. The court held that a railroad company could not be forced to provide free transportation for members and employees of state commissions under federal law unless there was an explicit statutory requirement to do so. This decision came after the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) had ordered railroads to give free passes to its commissioners and staff for inspection purposes as part of their regulatory duties. However, this order was challenged by several railroads including Illinois Central on grounds that it violated provisions against giving free rides as stipulated in Hepburn Act - a federal statute enacted in 1906 aimed at regulating railroad practices.

In the dissenting opinion for Interstate Commerce Commission v. Illinois Central Railroad Company, it was argued that the court majority had overstepped its authority by interpreting a statute in a way that effectively rewrote it. The dissenters believed that Congress intended to allow railroads to charge higher rates for shorter distances under certain circumstances and did not intend to prohibit this practice entirely. They contended that the majority's interpretation of the law would lead to absurd results, such as forcing railroads to charge less for longer hauls even when they were more costly. Furthermore, they disagreed with the notion that courts should be involved in setting railroad rates at all, arguing this was better left up to market forces and regulatory agencies like the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC).