OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

ITon+ J. P. Bryan 

county Attorney 

*3ec. 8, Provided however that thiu A& 

shall not apply to publ.idati~a whloh have 

been publiehed an8 olroulated ,f~emrall fblr 

et least twelve (U) montha nezct prse ex ing 

the accep%anoe of such akwdising: ?OP other than purely politiaal gurgoees ill Qorm laaality otber than that in whioh it iS low&d 
and published at the time ofaooepting such 

poJ.ltioal advertisingfromnore thanone oandldete. 

Veo. 36 md provide4 further that SeatiOn 1 Of thie Aat'6hall net apply t0 publioations whZoh have, prior ta the aoqclptanoe 

of pclitical a8rertising fmm more than on6 

~candldete, been publlahed and oiraulated aenarall for a period of less than one year 

insedktely praoeding the acrospUanoe af suoh 

adrartieing in the event that euch aPplior 

tion can showewnerehipofits physiaa;Lplanf 

and that its advertising rateu are in proportlon to the amomt and kind of its elroulat ion I 

T3eo. 4. Whos~ar violatar thm prwi~ions 

of this bet shall be finednotless than fin 

RumIre Dollars ( 506) nor more than One 

Thousaud Dcllass t $l,OOO), or be latprisoned 

in jail not lea0 than three (8) months nor _ 

store than si% (6) months, or both, Each *lo-: 

latlon Of this Aot shall be a separate ofiwlEB*~ 

House &Ill 700 ~ervt36 out of the reeognined 

busineso ofpublishin a nearpaper, magaxAn6 0~0th~ 

publloaticm a eeTta h olass and pxohiblts thcso Ln 

i 

f 

such olaae mm selling politloal at'ivertleing tomore 

than ona candidate fcr any public office, leaving unabridged the right of the others within the general 

olassifieatfon to do so+ The prohibition against the 

forbidden publication from aeliine politioal advcartisizig llkewiae, of oouree, precludes the oandidatasfrar 

purchasing suoh advertising, notwlthstandfng thwir 

desire to do so. Xn other words, the aot deetroys fha 

befcre ezisting right of the prohibited publication to 

con';ract for the sale of its advertising space and as 

a nempsseary oorrelative destroys the right of oandldateti to contract with the forbidden publioaticn fB 

such advertising space. 

A further anaigaie'ofthe AOt reveal8 that ft 
F 

321 

rzm. J. P. Brytmb pace 3 

was not designed to, and could not Inherently protect, 

the publia fkontanything inlmloaltothe pub& health, 

~morals, safety,orwelfare. no one mapserioualy maintain, petrticutily the members ofthe LsSialoture who. 

emoted this law,'that under guise Of the police power, 

the publia should ba proteoted timreading politioal 

advertteements. Or that political advertisement lua 

newspaper09 less tAban LB monthsinexistenae is harmful to the peogle;,wiisreas;in a publication of more 

than 18 months of: existence, it is not 804 

Burthermore, H. B. 700 may not be deemed to 

have been enaoted toprotsot the oandidate for offioe 

themselves in any way;otwhioh the law may take oogniience , that aid not, prlortothe enactment of this 

&v, exist under the absolute right of the oandidats 

to oontraot for or refuse tooontraot for, the advertising offarad by the partioular publlaation. 

ObvlOuSly, alSO,%hi8 l13W WeS not oa&;attlabd 

to proteotthepublioation affeoted) ratheritaurtails 

and Limits their .frea ard untr&mmelsd right to sell a 

pe.rtif33lar typeat'oon&odity m0et luorativs to the publie&ion business. 

bray the Aot, ther'efore, be upheld under Sea. 

19o$ &I%. loftha Constitution OfTexas, whloh reads! 

970 oitizen of this state &.a11 be d6- 

.prived of Ilfe, liberty, property, privilages or immunities,~,or in any manner d%sfranchised, except by the due course of law 

of the. land;* 

m-under Sco. 3 of Artiole 1 Of the Uonatitution of Tex- 

&is, whioh maagl 

*A11 free men, -:'nen they fom a social 

oapact, have equal rights and no man oraet 

of men, is entitled to eXciuSiV* 00parat43 

2ubli.o enolment, or privilac;ee, but in cone&deration of :mblia ssrvioes~* 

or unEe!c Sm. 1 of the 14th Amendment of the Constitu- 
322 

Ron. J. F. Dryan, pset,e 4 

tion Of the Unit& St&tee, whioh reads: 

“All persons born or naturalized l.n tha 

United St&es, and aubjeot to the jurisdlotion thcraol:, me oitizena of ths United 

Staten end of the Stats wherein they resi%s. 

RO stnt.e Shall .mke or 2nfOrO8 any IaN whioh 

shall r~brid+yz+ the privileSer or irmmltiea 

or cith3s 0r the unitfdi statei3) GOT 6iku 

any state Oepriva any person of life,, Uberty, Or prOpeTty, WithOUt dua pcOO825 Or 1aW; 

nor Cecy to any Fsrsoz within its juris%lotfoa the equal protaotioa of the laws+* 

Touohin6 ths ~_uestion 0r veXi% olreelrit3ation 

and arbitrary disorlmination, i&s United 8Rntee 5uproms 

Court 2n the’oese of FROST V. CORFORATrTIOI6O:J&, S78 U. 

3. 515, 522, emounce% them prinoipLleer 

* * * * In either aasa; ths olaesSriaatlon, in order to be atall%, ‘must rest upon 

some .goun% or %iirersnoe having a fair an& 

substmtial~relation to the ~objeat of the 

legislation, so t.het all parsons similarly 

oiroumstancod shall be treated aliks** Royster Guano Co. v. Vir&xla,~ 253,U.S. 418, 

4131 Ai.r~~~oy 1;orporat1.on V.DQ~, 266 U. 9. 

71;55; Schlesinger v. Wisconsin 270 U. S, 

830, 240. That is tc say, mere dlfferenos 

fs not ano~ghr thd ~ttempteu olaeairiaation 

*mmt almya rest upon some difrersnoe which 

beers a rensoneblo en% dust relation to tha 

act Izz rsapect to whioS the olaesiriouti6n 

is prcpooed , snd uan never be made arbitrarily ~2~2 vrithout uny such b~is;* Qillr, Solar- 

;@ 8: Santa I% Rye VI Elliott, 165 B.S. 158, 

u . Lo’.:imillo Gr.e ‘20” V. COl.esran, supra, 

P* L-57 (277 u. s. 32).” 

It WCS liiewise dechre% by the Supreme Court 
323 

Hon. J. P. Bryan, page S 

relied a, osn only interfere when it is nado 

clearly to appesr thati an atteapted olnseifioation hua no reasonable basi5.h the neture of ths businesses oleasified, end that 

the law operatee unequally upon aubjoats between ~hfah there is no real Ufierenoe to 

justify the @operate treatment of them undsrtaken by the Legfslature. Thie is th5 rule 

in a?plytig both the &ate and Xedmxl, otmstitutlone, an% it hss bees 80 often Istate% 

astO rander uuneoeasary further di0ouseion 

or it. * * * * 

.In the aase of LCSSING T. KUGmS, 244 8.W, 

556, 559, 560, the oourt vigorously dsno*moe% the arbitrary exero$se of governmental power by tha &I&&Stulv in oreating a purported alaasifiaation with po-retdonel bnsls thoref m. 

opinion L 

We quote as follwS irax thio 

* * * a W5 reaognfge the well-establiahad prinalgle that in the exeraise of poliae 

power th0 Legi8leture Iaay.xake distlnotton~ 

base% upon elassifioation, proviUed the eh86- 

ifiaation reste upon R rational uirrer8nos 

whioh neaeaaarily dietingulahes al3 those a$ 

partioular alaseea fsoa those of other olaeese. 

Xtwever, it 25 vttal to tAe validity of smh 

legislation that such ratkonal baeie must QXWI. The Legisletu--e cannot by its arbitrary 

riat oraati such elm3siiioatlon. xi in the 

nature oi' t::inga there la 1~) rational dlstinotion up011 ahiah it ia base% In reletion 

to the subjeot-mvttor of the legislation an% 

the pur,nosee sought to be attained, then tha 

law omnot survive! the ehellenge of the aitizen or olass or altlzana Ulsariminate% atqAsat+ 

Under such olroumtancee, a law whleh warks 

the %pOliatiOn Or ths prop8rty Or oertah aftizens and subjeots them to an exercise oi’gwerumentel peer whloh la purely arbitrary, 

branding thela s% oriqfnals for comaitting~aots 

which are lawful when oomltted by othe e 

ve think, oleurly mu alt8g*ther vithout . bu;:’ 

. 
A 324 

Ron. J. 3'. Bmm, page 6 

port in the theory that It affeota equally 

and alike all the individuala of the alass 

to which it pertains. Without indloatlng 

any reason fox it, the Leglulatura by the 

provlsfons of this lau lta;gosee ppsnaltiesard 

re~trlotiOn8 upon the property riBhts which 

inhere in the cwnerahip and operatim ofeo+nmaroial notor vshlolect, and exempts motor 

vehlalea uaed In agrloultural pursuitlr frost 

such penalties and restrlationa$ and, equally without lndioating any raeaen for it,,malam 

orimlnal the usa ot aartainVmotor vehioler . 

fox ocnunaraial purposes and, at the sametlme, 

raakes lawful the use of the aenw vehioles’for 

agrioultural purpoaee n on the @a&M road& 

X0 reasan auggesta itse E to u6 as a justiiioaticrn-of suoh dd.sorlminatione. In these :,,. 

respeota, as well EC) in othex yaapeotr sppar- 

%nt at a ghme, th8 O%aers and UEIQTl Of OaoQmeroial motor vebiolee are made the viatizne 

of eeprlal0us diUoriIPinat.tiOn.* 

*In the aasb Of EX PARTE DREIBZ.J3IS, 103 pi. a. 

(&I) 470 the GourtofGriaiki Ap?eele ofT%xar 8truOk 

dOwn a o!t,y ordinance aa being diaurj.~&neborj end Moonetitutlonal which requirad e lioenae fee Of all t6mporary merohante aod execqting all parsone who had been 

engaged in oertaln designated bueine8~1ee td a period 

of am year ox mubb4 The aourt deolaredr 

*An Ordlnenoe whFoh atteznpte to d&Otia- 

&leh between parsons engaged in the e(une or 

like buelnaaaae, meraly on the basisl of the 

lan@h of time eaoh ie eneged in the butine)ss, is in oontravention of seotlxms 9 and 

19 of Artiole I of the Oonstitutlon.” 

See ala0 thefoll~ing 0~11888 by the Court Of 

Orirainal Appeals of Taxaa$ 
325 

we rsgnrd It 8s 01-r that R. B. 900, In its 

dlrorlnloatlon between ;tublleatlOn8 18 alaci~~ lagialatlon 

and offend8 ngelnst the Quoted provlslon8 of the utcrte and 

f8a0m c0mdtutih8. No lew mep, upon aon8iaeretlon8 6naotod into ?f. E. 900, dsnr the ordinary rl&t or oontruot 

88 Is done by this Aot. Raduoad to its ultlnmta eftsat 

this otatute forbldm thors publication8 in tha srbltrarily 

a08ignmd 01.~8 ima rpeU,lnft ,polltiaal sdvertlsin~ to inor0 

than oncr oandldate; ~Wreaa, othar publiaatlon8 may me11 

rush with lmmunlty, ratwlthatandlng the faot that all are 

swiged ln the aanm buslnaas with the general pub110 and to 

the ~~043 ena, noaeiy, th8t of neping profit. It produo* 

a alnasltioetlon whloh 8ubjeot.n one to a burden from whloh 

tha other le rolleveed, and 18 eMally arblWary baoawo 

baasd upon no real or rubrtantlal dlifermoss having ree8b~- 

able reLetIon to the rubjaet dealt with by the iktutm. The 

pub110 health, morala, safety or rnlfero is not Involved; 

there lo lnvolvrd the unabridged right, under the oommo~ law 

and In a free wuutry, of a oltlam to publlmh a newmpa~er, 

magaelno or other publloatlonr, aa to sol1 a reoognlred eonaodlty ln aonacratlon thezxmlth, toeether with the oorroapond1% right 0r M Individual to purch~ae or retws rush 0rr0red 

OoPe?scraity, 

thl8 law. 

Suoh right8 are unoonstitutlonslly invaded by 

P.ls a1oo point out that th18 8tatute le mbjeot to 

oOn8tltutloMl arltloirn, e8 a penal 8tatutos ~WILUO of the 

lndetlnlteneee and unoartalntp of various of its terma. The 

meaalng of the language nunle88 ruoh publloatlon shall hero 

been published and dlstributad generally* lr la.alclng ln 

deilnltlon and oertalnty. Llkewl8e, the meanirig of the lnn- 

$ua#yt In Saotlon S of the Act "ln the eveat that suoh epplleatlon oen show ownershIp OS ltu physloal plant and that it8 

advertising rataa ara in poportion to the mount and kind 

at 1La tlrculatlon* le f33drmi.t suroeptfble sr rarlow meanNV. It la wall rattlw3 that a panal offanee mu8t be alearly 

defined by the statute aroatlng It 

aunt fall und6C tha roquironuite o 4 

othsrwlra, the 8tatute 

the Donetftution. 

HoraOver, H. D. 900 aylp not be oumtw&md under the 

(ronetltutlonal ~ucgrttnteea ofrmwdom or the prsro. he dealarad by ths~ljkt 0d statw .~ suprafw Court In the aatie 0r 

OROS~AIO V. &di@Mr?luo PRESS CO., EB9 9. 5. P33, the ?radoaklaLnant purpose 0r ths grant 4r imnunltp la the bonstftutlbml 

guaranty Of rra6dam of the p~a88, waas to:!preewva en untram- 
nen. s. P. Bryan, page 8 

326 

meled pre84. "To allow lt to be t4ttsreU 1s to fetter ourrelre8 .* In thir, ease, the United Ststese Supreaa Court 

.struok dorm a rtatute of the State ot Laulrlan4 whioh undertook to tax nempapen, p4riodfoal8, eragaaln48 or other pubLloationrr hnvlng a 0Lroulatlon of mor4 thnn tw4nty thoueana 

ooplelr per week, 88 riolativ4 ol the due proo484 of law 

olaure of the United State8 Oonrtitutlon beoauea the rtatute 

8bridged Iraldoa of the m-888, In oonaarntina; on this b&rlatlre enaotment, Mr. Stmtioe 8uthorland. In deliverlag tha 

OpidOa Of the 00Ur?~, 84idt 

"The toFlP in whioh the t41 18 bEpO84d i8 in 

itself 4U8piOiOU4. It i8 llOt ncH8UT4d Or limitad 

by the volume OS sdvertiraaent4. It ir measure8 

alons by the extent of the olroulatlon or the publi88tiOA ia whioh th4 abvartl84aents are ocrried, 

with the lain 

i! e 

urpo44 of penalizing the publlmhen 

aa ourta liag h4 alrW.atlon or 4 aeleat44 ~rt+up 

oi new8pap4r8.* 

FMsdom of the p1-484~ guaranteed by the United Stator 

oon8tittltion an4 b the oon8titution at T8x88, VOUOb88i48 t8 

eaoh and 4vvcry pub z lartlon of our land the right oi due pro4488 In any ola44lfl4ation lap44lng upon it r48tT8illt8 ln It8 

OrdiMI7 0Oul.48 Of bUli~888. In abrld@.g the right8 4t thO88 

pUblloatitm8 In th4 d481@8td Oh88, B. B* PO0 otfenA8 agaln8t 

the86 UOMtftUtiOMl 84f4gU4d4. 

YOU 8f4, 8OtMtrdiZi&~~ r88p44tfUuY 8dPi88d that it 

18 the oglnioa OS thir Departaent that HO B. 900 of the 46th 

L4girlatm4, above 88t but, eontraren48 thr oon8tltut:on or 

T8rar an4 of the United Btat48, sad is* theniore, unooa8t~tatlonal and void. 

APPRQVED J-lJL 6. 1940 A’lTORWUY cBMW,L OZf TBKAB