Case Name: GALVESTON, H. & S. A. RY. CO. v. STATE
Court: Texas Courts of Civil Appeals
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1914-12-23
Citations: 175 S.W. 1096
Docket Number: No. 5356
Parties: GALVESTON, H. & S. A. RY. CO. v. STATE.
Judges: 
Reporter: South Western Reporter
Volume: 175
Pages: 1096–1098

Head Matter:
GALVESTON, H. & S. A. RY. CO. v. STATE.
(No. 5356.)
(Court of Civil Appeals of Texas. Austin.
Dec. 23, 1914.
On Motion for Rehearing, April 21, 1915.)
Master and Servant <@=11 — Regulations— Validity — Right to Discharge Employes.
The Blacklisting Statute (Acts 31st Leg. c. 89), requiring railroad companies to furnish discharged employés with a statement of the cause of their discharge, and to furnish employes voluntarily leaving the service with a statement to that effect showing whether their services were satisfactory, is unconstitutional.
[Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Master and Servant, Dec. Dig. <®=11.]
Jenkins, J., dissenting.
Appeal from District Court, Travis County; Chas. A. Wilcox, Judge.
Action by the State of Texas against the Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railway Company. Prom a judgment for plaintiff, defendant appeals.
Reversed and rendered.
Baker, Botts, Parker & Garwood, of Houston, and W. B. Garrett, of Austin, for appellant. B. P. Looney, Atty. Gen., and Luther Nickels, Asst. Atty. Gen., for the State.

Opinion:
KEY, C. J.
In this case appellee, the state of Texas, recovered judgment for $1,000-against appellant railway company, and the latter has prosecuted an appeal. The suit is founded upon article 597 of the Revised Statutes of 1911, in which a penalty of $1,000, recoverable by the state, is prescribed for a violation of the act of the Thirty-First Legislature (chapter 89) known as the "Blacklisting Statute." .In this court, as well as in the court below, appellant railway company vigorously assails the constitutionality of that statute; and, knowing that a case involving the same questions was pending in our Supreme Court, we have awaited the decision of that court. The case referred to is St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company of Texas v. Thos. A. Griffin, 171 S. W. 703, and was decided last week by the Supreme Court, which latter tribunal held that the statute referred to is unconstitutional and void. Following the decision in that case, it is ordered that this case be reversed and judgment here rendered for appellant.
Reversed and rendered.
<=For other eases see same topic and KEY-NUMBER in all Key-Numbered Digests and Indexes