In the case of Wright v. Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company in 1904, the U.S Supreme Court ruled on a dispute involving land ownership and railroad construction. The plaintiff, Wright, claimed that he owned certain lands through which the defendant's railway line passed without his consent or any legal right. He sought to recover damages for trespassing and an injunction against further use of his property by the railroad company. However, it was found that these lands were part of a public highway before they became part of the railway line; hence they were not private property but belonged to the state instead. The court held that as long as there was no proof showing abandonment by public authorities or reversion to private ownership status after being used as a public highway, then such lands remained under state control even if unused for many years. Therefore, since this land had been legally acquired from Kentucky State by Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company for its rail lines' construction purposes with due compensation paid where required under law at that time (1870), Wright’s claim lacked merit because he did not have exclusive rights over those disputed areas within his larger estate boundaries.

The dissenting opinion in the Wright v. Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company case argued that the plaintiff, who was injured while working for the defendant railroad company, should have been allowed to sue his employer under Alabama state law. The majority ruled that federal law preempted this right because of an interstate commerce clause. However, the dissent contended that there was no conflict between federal and state laws in this instance as both aimed at promoting safety among railway employees. They believed it was unjust to deny a worker's right to seek compensation for injuries sustained due to negligence on part of their employers just because they were engaged in interstate commerce at the time of injury. Therefore, they disagreed with denying states' rights where such denial did not serve any substantial purpose or promote any significant interest related to national uniformity or efficiency.