TR against the Railroad
Teddy Roosevelt was always an able bodied and strong president. He always fought against corruption and injustice, and when he saw that the railroads were not so pure and legitimate he started to take action. In 1903 Roosevelt enacted the Elkins Act which prevented railroad companies from offering rebates. This act was not very effective at legitimizing the railroad and thus Roosevelt was forced to look towards other options. Although Roosevelt was almost successful with his first attempt at equalizing interstate commerce by eliminating rebates, he still did not impact the railroad industry greatly. In 1906 Roosevelt issued the Hepburn Act which gave the (ICC) extended jurisdiction and the ability to set maximum railroad rates. This act killed off the concept of free passes to loyal shippers and finally legitimized the railroad industry to some extent.