In the case of Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad Company v. Brewer (1913), the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of Brewer, a landowner who sued the railroad company for damages caused by flooding due to construction works carried out by the company. The court held that although railroads have certain rights under eminent domain laws, these do not extend to causing damage to private property without providing compensation. The ruling emphasized that while corporations may be granted special privileges or immunities necessary for their operations, they are still subject to constitutional limitations protecting individual rights and properties. Therefore, any harm inflicted on private property as a result of corporate activities must be compensated accordingly.

In the dissenting opinion for Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad Company v. Brewer, it was argued that the majority's decision to uphold a state law requiring railroads to provide separate but equal accommodations for black and white passengers violated the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The dissenting justices believed that this segregation inherently implied an inequality between races, which contradicted with constitutional principles of equality under law. They also contended that such laws were not genuinely intended to promote public welfare or comfort, but rather served as instruments of racial discrimination and prejudice. Furthermore, they questioned whether states had legitimate authority over interstate commerce in this manner without infringing upon federal jurisdiction.