Railroads
President Roosevelt also desired to corral the railroad corporations and urged Congress to pass restrictions on the railroad companies. In 1886, Congress formed the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), which was intended to regulate interstate commerce, but in fact was not adequate because it did not grant the ICC much power to enforce acts and punish violators. Then, in 1903, Congress passed the Elkins Act, which fined railroads that gave any rebates to the powerful and large clients who accepted them. The Elkins Act not only allowed the railroads to set rates based on market conditions, but it also increased the powers of the ICC. The Hepburn Act was also passed to restrict the free passes of railroads. Finally, Roosevelt also decided that there were “good trusts” and “bad trusts”, and this led to the suing of the Northern Securities Company, which was a large and powerful company made up of several railroad companies. In the cartoon, the President’s desire to regulate the railroad companies has caused tension and worry to the railroad bosses who are rushing to Congress as the acts are passed.