In the Southern Express Company v. Byers case in 1915, the Supreme Court ruled on a dispute involving an express company and its liability for lost goods. The plaintiff, Byers, had shipped two packages of jewelry through Southern Express Company but they were stolen en route by one of the company's employees. The defendant argued that it was not liable as it had no knowledge or reason to suspect any dishonesty from this employee and thus could not have prevented his actions. However, the court held that under common law principles governing carriers of goods for hire, such companies are generally responsible for losses unless they can prove exceptions like acts of God or public enemies caused them - neither applied here since theft by an employee is within their control to prevent with proper supervision and security measures. Therefore, despite having no prior suspicion about this particular worker’s potential criminal behavior which led to loss in question here; still carrier was found liable because he failed to safeguard customer’s property adequately against such risks inherent in its business operations.

In the dissenting opinion for Southern Express Company v. Byers, it was argued that the majority's decision to uphold a state law requiring express companies to pay damages for lost packages without proof of negligence was unjust. The dissenting justices believed this ruling violated due process rights under the Fourteenth Amendment by imposing an unreasonable burden on interstate commerce businesses like express companies. They contended that while states have power to regulate local aspects of such businesses, they should not be allowed to impose conditions which essentially penalize these companies for losses occurring in their business operations beyond their control or fault. In essence, they felt that holding these corporations liable without evidence of wrongdoing went against principles of fairness and justice inherent in constitutional due process protections.