OFFICE OF THE A-ITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS / 

PCS 

f?onorabU T, E. TrinibZe 

ulrst A8eiatant 

stats S&lprlnt5ndant 

Auetia, TuxU 

AUSTIN 

if0 Or0 In ret30 

whicrh ruds ao followsa 

awa of Uorrlr county r0r 

15, but it io thought that 

tabulatdl Will fall bola 
*B, If youi- anawor is that euoh ayyGr.itee 

WOtia 88N0 Only Ullti.3. t&O 38Xt ~0J2%r~;L 0bOthl, 

t&In In YihQt s!nnner wotild oatd:~tca for l&o urlexpired tlarcl pr0eont their oonhitiaaise far otfloe? 

Xn oonaeotion wirh Uris qwstiaa, your a%tentlon 

is oalled to the raot that it ie too late to ills 

one~s rbquost to bd plaaod w tii lwuooratlo yri- 

"5. uoeo the Conuutodonors' Court, pending 

th0 iiDa td%bUhhtiOII Or th0 QUIZWIt OeUSUS ( hWt0 

the power to appoint aoma euitablo pwaon to 

ocinduot thsmaira Qi thb offimP 

ix4 asmcie that the scibla6tfo populetfon of iiopcld 

County ior the yoar 1936 w&a in ezoee8 OS WOO and the offioo 

of County-auperintandqt @‘o~arly eatabll&@6. 

Artiols 26&3, lie C* S., 1925, a8 aunmdo8, pmvifkm 

aa f0llcma: 

-Iho Ctisolanera’ court 0r wary oounty 

hvlng three thourand 3,000) soholmtfo Papuatlon or more as ahown 6 p t&o preaeCing afamuo 

ahall at a Goner01 Elsotlan prod40 fw the oiootlon of a Count SuprL*ocdaz& to 60~70 ror a 

tern or four (4 J yLuu%, who 8ball be 9 parion 

of eduaatlonal attainz6nta, good rsaral oharaotar, 

and ox8outiva abfllty, and. n&o eh& be provided 

by the Co*tn;Lseloner8~ Co'urt with aa oriioa la 

‘Qie LxoUrthou5e # am? with aQ0088aay orrios furnlturo anfl fixtures. lie ahalA M tho holder of a 

teooherls flret gmata osrtiflouto or taobe4r*s 

permanent aartlfloato. IA ffory county that 0hal.l 

attain thrae thweand (3,000) doholmtlo gqmlation or aore the Cocoiaaslonorr* Court diallappoint awh 5upctrlntendent who ahall perioznitho 

duties of suoh 0m00 uriti;L tlla el~otion em! 

q~lifl~otl~ of hi5 ~~OWSOS, III ooultiss 

having leeo than three thoumnd (3,000) ooholaaetie population whenever more than twsnty-flvo per 

aunt (23~4) of A0 qualiXiod votero of 0ait-t oounty 

as .&own by the vote for Governor l t the poodlni; G8nerrZL i1eorian shau. pct1ticm tho coKa&a,- 

0f~%rd c0urt th02aw~, ad court t3ha 0raer 

an eleotion for oaid oounty to drPf0milne whetha 
or not the offLeo OS Oounty superintendent 8hnl.l 

bo mwetod in eald oountyt and, If a rPajority of 

the :;ualliYoU pro rty tupayln~: voter8 votlag at 

said 0lwUor~ 5haG voto Sor tho areatUan OS the 

0rr10e OS awnty S~rlntQndQll8 In UIQ ooLintg, 

the Coamieeianore~ Court at Its nert ro 

after the hol4ln$ of ad JMtlon ehalez:~ 

the offloe ol Oounty S orlhtonded an6 neao a 

couaty mpwlntanaeuht 3 0 elmll Qmkfy unmr this 

CW~g~~~and ho14 euoh oft100 uatll tin mxt Gonorm I. 

. Erwlde4, that In all ooulltl~e hevlJlg 

a g0pulaticrn in *LOOSE or tbrrr hutma and riftp 

thouem (330,OCtO) inhabitanta aooomlingto tha 

loet avoi3sblo Yodem& O@nWe tho County i!iqWrlntuiaeat ahell be a goint8Q by the County Boar4 

of Muaation and SL 11 ho14 off100 for tuo (i!) 

yore, provi404 turther, that this provlelon 

shall not opereto so a* to aoprlvo any elo0t.d 

Buperlaton4ont or hle ofrloe prior to the uplmtion of the term ior whlah ho &me km l oetr4; 

lo population of botuoaa thmo tboue 

an4 flvo thoueeM(b,OW) eaho&etfee, whtr:in 

the otiiee 0r a0uu8p mqerlsan4rpt has 000 brrn 

arut an6 a superiatwrbma% oleoted, than ia 

aueh oo#ntlce the quoetion 0r whet&u or not 

suah offloe 18 l etabllrbrd shall be detardnrd 

by t&e qudifietl totOr& of oald aoutzty in a apeolal ol6otlon odkob ti;omior by tho CombUioaoro' 

court or 05id 00u0ty upon petition th5w0r as 

hrrdnabovo ~pfioifi~b~~ 

Artlolo dl780, R, &, 19U'rrdo la part a8 iollower 

-he offlao 0r a0mty 5uprinteatIont ai publl0 

inetruotloa ir hemby o&-bate&; and Lho eom~&rlonl ref oourt of every oowtp in thic sta:e havlq tbroo 

thousand soholastio population eo shown by the ~%'aoeUFn$ eoholaaetla musue, shall provldo for tbo 

e~loatlcm of a oouaty l up r :Znta nOof snt publio lnrtmtlon at eaah &anoral ol.ootfon . . .* 

~m0ie 27~1, ii. C. G., i985, prow05 in pati (U r0ii0wr 

*u oaah aountp having no eohool euporlntudent 

the oounty j&Q34 -11 ba 6% ol’fioio eouaty suparintan&4nt anti ehall periarr all tho duties roqufr*d 

of the away euporlntendant In this ohaptor . l .* 
1.50 

Honorable .-> i. L, TrlrGble, p&p 4 

In sit3 cuse OS 34iller 

218 2. ,x. 452, l:stiole 2750, R. 

the oourt a6 iollowar 

ve 3rowa, (Ta C. A. 1919) 

&, 19U. wae 0011~trtk~tl by 

2750, 

*By the artiolea rcfarred to, othar than 

it olearly apprro that the 6oholartio 

66nLluB of iT86ltio County takvm l.n May an6 Juh0, 

1928, for the aoholaatlo year byliml,ng with 

siaptenber of tht yeas waQ ths n4xt preoeding 

eeholaatio om.m~e'takea prior to the gensti 

sleotion held on NWembm 3, 1928, aJ&u the Qno 

oontroui.ll& the motioa OS th6 ~oairiLmrion6rB' 

00ud in prwidiryi SW the oi60oi0a to th6 alrio 

rioi 4i0tm 0s th8 

". . . 

OOdr 

"IS vi0 are not in l TWr La our oanstru8- 

tiarr 0s tb0 abw8 am010 that the orrio 0s 

00wy oup0~lnt~mt.tt 0s pbu0 in6wu0th d6- 

pcurtbt s0r ita 6~irt0~0r upaa tb 00rea:tw 0s tb 

sohdartilo oeumur at m&oh @aeraS elootiua, than, 

would b6 IlO 

of the ohowht& OS the l ohelaotio oonsua likeuleo 

b y reason OS th6 r h wln& OS the l o h o la stlo ao n1 1 u~, 

ha8 no further exiotenoe, 2otmtial or othe~~leo.. .* 

In that oesa the reholaatio oamua ha@ Sullea klcw 

3000 on a general eleotlfnt yoaz MC although an the sow 

lng non-oleatlon par rhe oem1u axossded 3000 It maa held the 

Off la6 did not exist. da oall aPtsnttan to the faot that Lho 

statute them ln question Sixed two yeer terxua 80 that an eleot&on would be holLd at every &eneraL sleotian ai& also note the 

rsrisonlag OS th8 court ta the efseet that ti6 axisteuoe or eontlnuano@ OS the ofiioe depends upon the caoltingimoy o;bIltloned. 

E 
Eonorable Z. il;. Trimble, me 3 

*tie are of the opinion that under the tcrrrrrt 

OS this Artiole the status of a County ia deternAtm& by the aoholastio ocueue next >z-cooW~& the 

elsotlon. In 0586 a auperintcndent4 +J sleeted 

in a county awl at the tl60 of olectlon said county 

has in excea8 OS thr60 thouBall (3,000) ooholAstioo 

then the Saot that ths soho&stIos fall below three 

thouamnu (3,000) would not esseot the etatuB of 

&ho County supsrhnd~t but hs nay continua until 

ho ha5 sex-red the remialntl~P of the four (4) ysar 

tern pavvi6ed for. of oourse, at ths erplrstim 

of hie tea if the prsosd.lng soholastlo oensus ohows 

less than three thoueand (3,000) soholastlos then 

no county Bu~erintsndsnt should bs ei00t0a to auooeed the lnounbsnt." 

tie rem11011 ie &Won for this holding but it must hats 

been based upon. -die proposltlon that whm.~ established, tho ofSloe ooatfnuod for the full sour ysar te*-m 018Q we Poulc hsvs 

akf;nty superlntendaat entitled to houI 4~. ofSLoe uP'Soh did not 

. 

It la our opinion that the oSSioa of county supariatandcsit of &orrio County havfr& bosn sstabllshotl by teaa~~~ oi 

the soholastlo oeneus prsaediq the eeusral eleotion in 8wss1- 

her, lY%, being In exo~os of 3000 soholastlos, euoh OfSioe odors 

into exlstenae for Sow years notwltistandlng such ocnsus atight 

drop beluw 3000 during t&s years intsrv+nia&tbs i@neralslsotion years at whloi~ t?re offloo woul6 re$ular~ be tilled. Ks are 

Surther OS the opinionthat the~death OS the inourabsntwauldnot 

destroy the office but oreate a raoamg to hs S5llsd as herobaftor point& out. Pour first pueartlcm 1.e triareforo answer& in 

the nagtlve. 

rrtlole 2336, il. C. 8.. 19z35, a.0 emmded, ram68 as 

SOllW81 

"The oolirt (oor;enieaioaers' oourt) shall have 

pow? to fill ~aom~~lee tn the ofrice of: , l . 

County supcrintsnCent or Pub110 InstlWotlQn. 3uoh 

vuoanols~ ~ahm3.l be Sllbff by a mijorlty vote OS 

the oetlbers OS said oourt, prewont azad. voting, Qnb the gareon ohoaen sbaY.1 h&I offlos until t.hs next 

@enoral eleotlonr" 

Under the uutho~iiiy of the abovs etatut; and our 

oplnioll HO. o-604 the fumw%r to your seeoll~ gusstion I.8 yorr 
Eonmable T . i;. Trtibls, pa&W 6 

tour tLlr6 qwstlon 18 nnsmmd by our 0plnions::No. 

o-1664, 0404, unc Art1010 2353, a. c* .!3*, M8S. In 0gla1on 

Ho. 0-1664 it WeIS atatodr 

Yihsre hem been no u~¶lola.l oaostkuotlon 

of Axtlols 8333, oiorsn i d, as to the offloe OS 

oounty 80ho01 *U~Pln~.nt. BOWWYOP, the lAnguag0 

I* oloar and not to ountrary oanstruotlon 

than that the cp (I ms$ be up Sm aleotloa, mid 

that the offloe to l leo tleet n tha nut @nasul elaotlon, and that tit8 torn of the appolntre 

will oxplre on Janurrylstsollml~t~ naxtgulan1 aeotloP.* 

iilth nSerenoo to four fourth qu~stloa we oaSl yout 

~ttolbtl~ tQ Art1010 8973 R40*3*, 1933, 

OSSI~~L ballot whioh mad. ia part as SO E wldla& for the oust 

‘The name dill l ppoor on th? ballot uxidor 

Gho hsadof ths psr%~$hatnomlnatssthsm, swat 

as otheawl~ protided br this tltloi MO nam a Lll 

a~- on the offidti bal.bt US*pt that OS l 08&i- 

&at+ who was aotuallg aminmtotl (*ither as a party 

actmlnso or as a non+prblron or lndepeahat oan61- 

bate) In aooordanoe with the prorlslas of thla title.* 

ArtlO& 3100 to 3l33, It. G* so, 1933~1600Aa 

l .lootlonoSpart~noain~r by ~rtl.8 of one h 

rotoe ad w4r* 

for the 

Artlolor 3l.M to 3133, H. C. S., 1633 goride 

selsotlon of QU%Y mmi~~eos by gaHA.8 of tan humsand 

and less than ORO hundred thousand, and Artiole 3163 B. Ce Se, 

1933,prariddssthsmsthodSoraa indepsndantoan6lda~Sror~ 

oolortpvoffias to have his nam prlatod upon the ofSiolal ballot. 

lutilsl# 3961, 8. C. S., 1933, reads as follows: 

*?ihsn a. voter d~slms ta rota a tloket 

stralght,he shallruna moilor ~nthrou&b 

all other tiolcets on tbo osiioia1 ballot, makin 

a aiatlnot martid Une-thron& suoh tlo&t not fintondsd to be W.Od; md whsn he shall derln to 

vote a &ml tlokst he shal31L do so by m&aning a 

line through the naraee of amh ~dldates as he 

shell dsalro to vats apinrtt Ui tiio tlekot !a@ is 

voting, and by writing the mm as tis oariaiacate 

for rdho?n ho dealrem to vote in UN blank colU6n 

cm% in epEioe 

r 

or&e4 for EWE offfiee~ samb to bo 

wrltttm with laok ink or penail, unlees t&s xmsss 

OS t&o cUdMats for whlcrh u dosl~eS t0 vote appiar on t&o ballet, in w&ioh evurt he shall lsav@ 

the sam not eoratohedc* 
iionoroble T. A. ‘irimble, pa@ 7 

mtm is no rsQuirewxt thut a oendldate r0r 0rrio0 

hiwe hit3 mite4 printed upon the 0rrlom ballot. u the mma 

0r the oandLdot.8 or the votorec ohoioe la not printed upon the 

gcsneral eledtion ballot hs my vote for hi8 ohoico by writing 

the aondldatq*o zbaa% J.n the blank spume prirovit%? for that purp060, The raot that it i8 now too late ror a oenbidato r0r 

nominee or the ihmooratla party to get hie namb printml upon 

the primtry slootlon ballot, or an rsr t.mt matter, the raumo 

0r the se8nooratio party to rdeot a noadme, will not arhot tha 

tight Or t&O QeOgh to GOOt II COUntY SUp~i~t~UttO~ l t th0 g0nes&l elwaion in Noveabor. 

Yroa the anawbra to queaticxm one, two aad throw 1% 

r03.utw8 that your rifth qwation ohm&l ba answrr*d in tbr afrirnrrtlv4, howevsr the appoiat&mnt would not be mmoly pcabing 

a mm1 tabd.atlcm or the oonmw but in ao%ordanoo with our 

anbuw to queotfon nunber three. 

3ia efla1olle homuith eopis~ of opinlono Ho. o-604, 

04604, 04.210 and 04416. 

Yours very truly 

ATTOREEY WitCEXAI. OY TUA3 

A?i-'i';,:'Z:‘JLJL 8, 1940 

~lQQu.+.G 

ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS