OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN HonorableCharles A. Theobol4 COkmT Attorae~ Qalrestoncounty Oalve4torl, Texar Dear Sir: rolentioor- the seventh +3oapeteat brief 8ub n. Turther we boliete letter am aorreet. a8 to whether a bwber, that the rcrenth or’ ght to be abrecveb a@ p refrains frea bud- fer rel5&xu peanon8, Thlr partlaular . 8 u member ar I wllgLoos ae Seventh Buy Adrentlstr and the tenet8 or his religion, their mindown on Friday an4 ~antlnuss Artlole 28S, Peaal Go&e of Texam, entitled Working en Sunday,* resde as follows: *Any parron who ehall llrbor, OF oolapel,tome or oblige his employer, workmen, or apprentloeeto Honorable Qlsrlee R. Theobold, Page 2 labor on Sunday, or any pereon who ehall hunt of anr kind whatsoever on Sunday within one-haf- f mile of any church, school house, or prlvate reel- dcnoe, ehell be fined not lese than ten nor more than fifty dollara." The oouTte of.Texae have held that the vocation o? barbering Is suoh labor ae to oome under the provlelon8of the preoedingarticle. See Ex Part. I[enne4y,42 Tex. Cr. Rep. 148~ 68 R.W. 129. Both the Constitutionof the United Btatee and Texae include provision8 proteotlng the lndlvldualin regard to hle thought an& actlone toward hle God. In line with the Aaerioaa lboa of religious toleranoe and freedom of thought, the Le&lela- ture of the State of Texas InJeoted lnto our law the following exception8to Artlole 283, eupra: . nor to my perrone who coaeoientioueti belier; ;h& the eetenth or any other da7 of the week ought to be obearved ne the Sabbath, and who lotuallr refrain8 from bualneee and labor on that 44 for rell- gloue reae0ne.M Artlole 284, Penal Bode of Texae. You do no tltate,althou@ you laply,thatthe barbor in queetlon aotuallr obeenee another da7 than Sunday a8 hie Babbath. Maor lt ie neoeeeary In arrlvlng at a proper anerer to determine thle ?aot,re rtll aeeume that the barberbonecl,entlooely believer th&t the eerenth day of the reek ought to be observed a8 the Sabbath,'and he oaetuallj rePnlnr from bueiaeee ana labor on that day for rellgloue reae0ns.6 Basa&iui the above aeeumptlonof ?net,we would anewer your queetlon in the afflrmatlve. In aoaoluelonwe lhoul6 like to quote irom your letter as we bellere your anewec la clear and eorreet . a further, that it elmpl~ reeolvee lteel? Into a'q;eltton of fact ae to whether he actually cloees hle barber ehop at rundown Friday and keeps it cloesd until sundown Saturday, whloh would require the ratohiul eye o? ~offloereto Qeteralne the faote a8 to hle oloeing and opening hle ehop, and a8 to hle coneolentlouebelle?, of oouree, that lo between hlaaeli and hle God.' ;; ,! 237 Honorable Charles R. Theobold, Page 3 ?rurtln,gthat the foregoing fully anmwce your ln- qulry, we me I I $.pPEOVEDm 12, lg41