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 publiehedan8 olroulated ,f~emrallfblr et least twelve (U) montha nezct prse ex ing the accep%anoeof such akwdising: ?OP other than purely politiaalgurgoees ill Qorm laaality otber than that in whioh it iS low&dand publishedat the time ofaooepting such poJ.ltioal

advertisingfromnore thanone oandldete.

Veo. 36 md provide4 furtherthatSeatiOn 1 Of thie Aat'6hallnet apply t0 publioationswhZoh have, prior ta the aoqclptanoe of pclitical a8rertising fmm more than on6 ~candldete,

been publlahedand oiraulatedaenarall for a period of less than one year insedktely praoeding the acrospUanoe af suoh adrartieingin 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 ionI

T3eo. 4. Whos~ar violatarthmprwi~ions of this bet shall

be finednotless than fin RumIre Dollars ( 506) nor more than One ThousaudDcllass $l,OOO), or be latprisoned

t 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 separateofiwlEB*~

House &Ill 700 ~ervt36 out of the reeognined businesoofpublishin a nearpaper,magaxAn60~0th~ publloaticm a eeTta h olass and pxohibltsthcso Ln

i f such olaae mm selling politloalat'ivertleing tomore than ona candidatefcr any public office, leavingunabridged the right of the otherswithin the general olassifieatfon

to do so+ The prohibitionagainst the forbiddenpublicationfrom aeliinepolitioal advcartisizig llkewiae,of oouree, precludesthe oandidatasfrar purchasingsuoh advertising, notwlthstandfng

thwir desire to do so. Xn other words, the aot deetroysfha befcre ezistingright of the prohibitedpublicationto con';ract

for the sale of its advertisingspace and as a nempsseary

oorrelative

destroysthe right of oandldateti to contractwith the forbiddenpublioaticnfB such advertisingspace.

A further anaigaie'ofthe AOt reveal8that ft

## F 321

rzm. J. P. 

### Brytmb pace 3

was not designedto,and couldnotInherently protect, the publia fkontanything inlmloaltothe pub& health, ~morals,

safety,orwelfare. no onemapserioualymaintain, petrticutilythe membersofthe LsSialoture who. emoted thislaw,'thatunder guiseOfthe police power, the publia should ba proteoted timreading politioal advertteements. Or that political advertisement lua newspaper09less tAban LB monthsinexistenae is harmful to the peogle;,wiisreas;in a publicationof more than 18 months of:

existence,it is not **804**
Burthermore,

H. B. 700 may not be deemed to have been enaotedtoprotsot the oandidatefor offioe themselvesin any way;otwhioh the law may take oogniience
, that aid not, prlortothe enactmentof this &v, exist under the absolute right of the oandidats to oontraot for or refusetooontraot for, the **adver** tising offarad by the partioular publlaation.
ObvlOuSly,

**alSO,%hi8 l13W** 

**WeS not**  **oa&;attlabd** to proteotthepublioation affeoted) ratheritaurtails and Limits their .frea arduntr&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 oitizenofthis 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 ofTex- &is, whioh maagl

*A11 free men, -:'nenthey 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&derationof :mblia ssrvioes~*

or unEe!c

Sm. 1 of the 14th Amendmentof the Constitu-

### 322

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

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

“All personsbornornaturalizedl.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 privileSeror 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 protaotioaof the laws+*

Touohin6ths~_uestion 0r veXi% olreelrit3ation and arbitrarydisorlmination, i&s**United** 8Rntee5uproms Court 2nthe’oeseof FROST V. CORFORATrTIOI6 O: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 %iirersnoehaving a fair an& substmtial~relationto the ~objeat of the legislation,

so t.het

all parsons similarly oiroumstancodshall 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 ~ttempteuolaeairiaation *mmt almya rest upon some difrersnoewhich beers a rensonebloen% 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 liiewisedechre% by theSupreme Court

### 323

Hon. J. P. Bryan, page S

relieda, osn only interfere when it is nado clearly to appesr thati an atteaptedolnseifioation

hua no reasonablebasi5.h the neture of ths businessesoleasified,end that the law operateeunequallyupon aubjoats**be** tween ~hfah there is no real Ufierenoe to justifythe @operate treatmentof them undsrtaken by the Legfslature. Thie is th5 rule in a?plytigboth the &ate and **Xedmxl, otm**  stitutlone,

an% it hss bees 80 often Istate%

astO rander uuneoeasaryfurther di0ouseion
or it. * * * *

.In the aase of LCSSING T. KUGmS, 244 8.W, 556, 559, 560, the oourt vigorouslydsno*moe%the arbitrary exero$se of governmental power by tha &I&&Stulv in oreatinga purportedalaasifiaation with po-retdonel **bnsls** thoref m. opinion L We quote as follwS irax thio

* * * a W5 reaognfgethe well-establiahad prinalglethat in the **exeraise** of poliae power th0 Legi8letureIaay.xake distlnotton~ base% upon elassifioation, proviUed the eh86- ifiaationreste upon R rational uirrer8nos whioh neaeaaarilydietingulahes al3 those a$ partioularalaseea fsoa those of other olaeese.

Xtwever, it 25 vttal to tAe validity of smh legislation

that such ratkonal baeiemust QXWI. The Legisletu--e cannot by its arbitrary riat oraati such elm3siiioatlon. xi in the nature oi'

t::inga there la 1~)

rationaldlstinotionup011

ahiah it ia base% In reletion to the subjeot-mvttor of the legislationan% the pur,nosee

sought to be attained, then tha law omnot survive! the ehellenge of the aitizen or olass or altlzanaUlsariminate% atqAsat+ Under such olroumtancee, a law whleh **warks the**  %pOliatiOn Or **ths** prop8rty Or **oertah aft**  izens and subjeotsthem to an exercise oi’gwerumentelpeer whloh la purely arbitrary, branding thela

s% oriqfnals for comaitting~aots which are lawfulwhen 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 individualaof the alass to which it pertains. Without indloatlng any reason fox it, the Leglulaturaby the provlsfonsof this lau lta;gosee ppsnaltiesard re~trlotiOn8

upon the propertyriBhts which inhere in the cwnerahip and operatim ofeo+nmaroialnotor vshlolect, and exemptsmotor vehlalea uaed In agrloulturalpursuitlr frost suchpenalties and restrlationa$ and, **equal** ly without lndioatingany raeaen for it,,malam orimlnalthe usa ot aartainVmotor vehioler

. fox ocnunaraial

purposesand, 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 justi**  iioaticrn-of

suoh dd.sorlminatione. In these :,,. respeota,as well EC) in othex yaapeotr sppar- %nt at a ghme, th8 O%aers and UEIQTl Of OaoQmeroialmotor vebiolee are made the viatizne of eeprlal0usdiUoriIPinat.tiOn.*

*In the aasb Of EX PARTE DREIBZ.J3IS, 103 pi. a. (&I) 470 theGourtofGriaiki Ap?eeleofT%xar 8truOk dOwn a o!t,y

ordinanceaa being diaurj.~&neborj end Moonetitutlonal

which requirad e lioenae fee Of all t6mporarymerohante **aod execqting**  **all** parsone who had been engaged in oertaln designatedbueine8~1ee 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 oncroandldate; ~Wreaa, othar publiaatlon8 may me11 rush with lmmunlty, ratwlthatandlng the faot that all are swiged ln the aanm buslnaaswith 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 oorroapond**1%** 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 languagenunle88 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 ownershIpOS ltu physloalplant and that it8 advertisingrataa 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 of rmwdom 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, waasto:!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 Laulrlan4whioh undertook to tax nempapen, p4riodfoal8, eragaaln48

or other pubLloationrr

hnvlng a 0Lroulatlonof mor4 thnn **tw4nty** thoueana ooplelr

**per** week, 88 riolativ4ol 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 penalizingthe publlmhen 

### aa ourta liag h4 alrW.atlon or 4 aeleat44 ~rt+up oi new8pap4r8.*

FMsdom of the p1-484~guaranteedby 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 lap44lngupon it **r48tT8illt8 ln**  **It8 OrdiMI7**  **0Oul.48 Of**  **bUli~888.** In abrld@.g the right8 4t thO88 pUblloatitm8In **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