• Unable to maintain their government-granted monopoly, the powerful railroad interests turned to government to do the regulating and price-fixing which they were unable to do themselves. In fact, the pressure that induced Congress to enact the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 did not come from reformers bemoaning abuses by the powerful railroad interests; it came from the railroad interests themselves, asking Congress to shield them against the harsh winds of competition.

    Dan Smoot: Unable to maintain their government-granted monopoly, the powerful railroad
 interests turned to government to do the regulating and price-fixing which they
 were unable to do themselves. In fact, the pressure that induced Congress to
 enact the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 did not come from reformers bemoaning
 abuses by the powerful railroad interests; it came from the railroad interests
 themselves, asking Congress to shield them against the harsh winds of
 competition.
    Dan Smoot (1973). “The BUSINESS END of Government”