Case Information

*1 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 oth- er than purely politiaal gurgoees ill Qorm la- aality otber than that in whioh it iS low&d *2 and published at the time ofaooepting such poJ.ltioal advertisingfromnore thanone oan- dldete.

Veo. 36 md provide4 further that Sea- tiOn 1 Of thie Aat'6hall net apply t0 publi- oations whZoh have, prior ta the aoqclptanoe of pclitical a8rertising fmm more than on6 ~candldete, been publlahed and oiraulated aen- arall 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 pro- portlon to the amomt and kind of its elrou- lat 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 $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 separate of- iwlEB*~

House &Ill 700 ~ervt36 out of the reeognined busineso ofpublishin a nearpaper, magaxAn6 0~0th~ publloaticm a eeTta h olass and pxohiblts thcso Ln f

such olaae mm selling politloal at'ivertleing tomore i than ona candidate fcr any public office, leaving un- abridged the right of the others within the general olassifieatfon to do so+ The prohibition against the forbidden publication from aeliine politioal advcartis- izig 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 oandl- dateti to contract with the forbidden publioaticn fB such advertising space.

A further anaigaie'ofthe AOt reveal8 that ft *3 321 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 main- tain, 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 harm- ful to the peogle;,wiisreas;in a publication of more than 18 months of: existence, it is not

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 oog- niience , that aid not, prlortothe enactment of this &v, exist under the absolute right of the oandidats to oontraot for or refuse tooontraot 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 ard untr&mmelsd right to sell a pe.rtif33lar typeat'oon&odity m0et luorativs to the pub- lie&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, privi- lages or immunities,~,or in any manner d%s- franchised, 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 con- e&deration of :mblia ssrvioes~*

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

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 jurisdlo- tion 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,, Uber- ty, Or prOpeTty, WithOUt dua pcOO825 Or 1aW; nor Cecy to any Fsrsoz within its juris%lo- tfoa 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. CORFORATrTIOI6 OO:J&, S78 U.

3. 515, 522, emounce% them prinoipLleer

* * * * In either aasa; ths olaesSriaa- tlon, 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** Roy- ster 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 arbitrari- ly ~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 Hon. J. P. Bryan, page S

relied a, osn only interfere when it is nado clearly to appesr thati an atteapted olnse- ifioation hua no reasonable basi5.h the ne- ture of ths businesses oleasified, end that the law operatee unequally upon aubjoats be- tween ~hfah there is no real Ufierenoe to justify the @operate treatment of them undsr- taken by the Legfslature. Thie is th5 rule in a?plytig both the &ate and Xedmxl, otm- stitutlone, 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 ar- bitrary exero$se of governmental power by tha &I&&S- tulv in oreating a purported alaasifiaation with po-re- tdonel bnsls thoref m. We quote as follwS irax thio opinion L

* * * a W5 reaognfge the well-establiah- ad 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 QX- WI. The Legisletu--e cannot by its arbitrary riat oraati such elm3siiioatlon. xi in the nature oi' t::inga there la 1~) rational dls- tinotion 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 ait- izen or olass or altlzana Ulsariminate% atqAsat+ Under such olroumtancee, a law whleh warks the %pOliatiOn Or ths prop8rty Or oertah aft- izens and subjeots them to an exercise oi’gw- erumentel 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

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+n- maroial notor vshlolect, and exempts motor vehlalea uaed In agrloultural pursuitlr frost such penalties and restrlationa$ and, equal- ly 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 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 OaoQ- meroial 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 M- oonetitutlonal which requirad e lioenae fee Of all t6m- porary 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 buti- ne)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 No lew mep, upon aon8iaeretlon8 6n- f8a0m c0mdtutih8. aotod 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 01.~8 ima rpeU,lnft ,polltiaal sdvertlsin~ to inor0 a08ignmd 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 eon- aodlty ln aonacratlon thezxmlth, toeether with the oorroapond- 1% right 0r M Individual to purch~ae or retws rush 0rr0red Suoh right8 are unoonstitutlonslly invaded by OoPe?scraity, thl8 law.

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 eppll- eatlon 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 mean- It la wall rattlw3 that a panal offanee mu8t be alearly NV. defined by the statute aroatlng It othsrwlra, the 8tatute aunt fall und6C tha roquironuite o the Donetftution. H. D. 900 aylp not be oumtw&md under the HoraOver,

(ronetltutlonal ~ucgrttnteea of rmwdom or the prsro. he de- alarad by ths~ljkt 0d statw suprafw Court In the aatie 0r .~

OROS~AIO V. &di@Mr?luo PRESS CO., EB9 9. 5. P33, the ?radoaklaLn- ant 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

meled pre84. "To allow lt to be t4ttsreU 1s to fetter our- relre8 .* In thir, ease, the United Ststese Supreaa Court .struok dorm a rtatute of the State ot Laulrlan4 whioh under- took to tax nempapen, p4riodfoal8, eragaaln48 or other pub- Lloationrr 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&r- latlre 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 pub- li88tiOA ia whioh th4 abvartl84aents are ocrried, with the lain urpo44 of penalizing the publlmhen aa ourta liag h4 alrW.atlon or 4 aeleat44 ~rt+up i! e 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 pro- 4488 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~ta- tlonal and void. A’lTORWUY cBMW,L OZf TBKAB

APPRQVED J-lJL 6. 1940