CURBING THE RAILROADS 51 



commissions were also created to collect informa- 

 tion and assist in enforcing the laws. The Iowa law 

 was very carefully drawn and appears to have been 

 observed, in form at least, by most of the com- 

 panies while it remained in force. In 1878, how- 

 ever, a systematic campaign on the part of the rail- 

 road forces resulted in the repeal of the act. In 

 Wisconsin, a majority of the members of the Senate 

 favored the railroads and, fearing to show their 

 hands, attempted to defeat the proposed legisla- 

 tion by substituting the extremely radical Potter 

 Bill for the moderate measure adopted by the 

 Assembly. The senators found themselves hoist 

 with their own petard, however, for the lower 

 house, made up largely of Grangers, accepted this 

 bill rather than let the matter of railroad legisla- 

 tion go by default. The rates fixed by the Potter 

 Law for many commodities were certainly un- 

 reasonably low, although the assertion of a rail- 

 road official that the enforcement of the law would 

 cut off twenty -five per cent of the gross earnings of 

 the companies was a decided exaggeration. Rely- 

 ing upon the advice of such eminent Eastern lawyers 

 as William M. Evarts, Charles O'Conor, E. Rock- 

 wood Hoar, and Benjamin R. Curtis that the law 

 was invalid, the roads refused to obey it until it was 



