Brodnax v. Missouri

Citations

• 219 U.S. 285
• 31 S. Ct. 238
• 55 L. Ed. 219
• 1911 U.S. LEXIS 1636

Syllabus

<p>In this case, as the statute snows.on its face that the subject regulated needed to be regulated for the protection of the public against fraud- • ulent practices to its injury, this court, is not prepared to declare that the State has acted beyond its power or the necessities of the case.</p> <p>While it is the duty of the Federal courts to protect -Federal rights from infringement, they should not strike down a'police regulation • of a State that does not'clearly violate the Federal Constitution; they cannot overthrow police legislation because they consider it unwise or inexpedient. House v. Mayes,- ante, p. 270.</p> <p>Although- the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment secures liberty of contract, it does not confer liberty to disregard lawful police regulations of the State established by the State for all within its jurisdiction.</p> <p>A classification of persons keeping places where stocks, bonds and such commodities as grain, petroleúm and cotton are dealt in for future and not actual delivery, is a reasonable one and not a denial of equal protection of the laws.</p> <p>The fact that commodities in course of transportation in interstate commerce are dealt in at certain places does not render a state police statute regulating sales, and imposing stamp tax on record? of transactions thereat, which is otherwise valid, an unconstitutional regulation of interstate commerce. Hatch v. Reardon, 204 U. S. 502.</p> <p>It is not a violation of the due process, or equal protection, clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, or an unconstitutional regulation of interstate commerce, for a State to prohibit the keeping of a place where purchases or sales are made of stocks, bonds, petroleum, grain, cotton, etc., on margins or otherwise, not paid for or delivered at the time, without record of sale and stamp tax, by a statute applicable to all persons keeping such places, and so held as to . the Missouri statute to that effect of March 8,1907.</p>