Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad Company v. Thomas was a Supreme Court case that was decided in 1895. The case involved a dispute between the railroad company and Thomas, a former employee of the company. Thomas had been employed by the company for several years and had been promised a pension upon his retirement. However, when he retired, the company refused to pay him the pension. Thomas sued the company for breach of contract, and the case eventually made its way to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court held that the company was liable for breach of contract and ordered it to pay Thomas the pension he was promised. The Court reasoned that the company had made a binding promise to Thomas and had failed to fulfill it. The Court also noted that the company had not provided any evidence that Thomas had failed to fulfill his obligations as an employee. As a result, the Court held that the company was liable for breach of contract and ordered it to pay Thomas the pension he was promised.

In the dissenting opinion of YAZOO AND MISSISSIPPI VALLEY RAILROAD COMPANY v. THOMAS, Justice Harlan argued that the majority’s decision was wrongfully based on a misinterpretation of Mississippi law and an incorrect application of federal common law. He believed that under state law, Thomas had a valid lien against the railroad company for his services as an engineer and should be compensated accordingly. Furthermore, he noted that there was no evidence to suggest that Congress intended to preempt state laws when it passed legislation allowing railroads to issue bonds secured by mortgages on their property. As such, Justice Harlan concluded that Thomas’ lien should have been enforced in this case since it did not conflict with any federal statute or regulation governing interstate commerce or railway operations.