California Proposition 2, Prohibition of Intoxicating Liquor Initiative (1914)

California Proposition 2
Election date November 3, 1914
Topic Alcohol
Status d Defeated
Type Constitutional amendment	Origin Citizens

California Proposition 2 was on the ballot as an initiated constitutional amendment in California on November 3, 1914. It was defeated.

A “yes” vote supported prohibiting the sale, manufacture, and transportation of intoxicating liquor.

A “no” vote opposed prohibiting the sale, manufacture, and transportation of intoxicating liquor.

Election results

California Proposition 2
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		355,536	40.39%
No		524,781	59.61%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Proposition 2 was as follows:

“

Prohibition

”

Ballot summary

The ballot summary for this measure was:

“

Initiative amendment adding sections 26 and 27 to article I of constitution. Prohibits the manufacture, sale, gift, or transportation wholly within the state, of intoxicating liquors: permits any citizen to enjoin violations; makes the showing that the manufacture, use, sale, gift or transportation was for medicinal, scientific, mechanical or sacramental purposes, a defense to civil and criminal actions, and requires regulation by law of such acts for said purposes: prohibits transportation into this state of intoxicating liquors, unless shown to be for such purposes, subject, however, to United States laws: prescribes and authorizes penalties.

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Support

Arguments

You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Opposition

Arguments

• Southern California Hotel Men's Association: "The Prohibition movement in California would be most detrimental to the best interest of this State. The Laboring Classes, Farmers, Viticulturists, Railways, Banks and Hotels, with their thousands of employees, would not only be seriously injured, but the travel to California would be discouraged by Prohibition."
• California Grape Protective Association: "The Dry leaders must find some programme different from this before they can convince the voters of California that it is wise to destroy one of the most important industries of the State, a rapidly growing and expanding industry, giving employment to thousands of families, for the sake of their pet theory which has proven a failure almost everywhere. It has been tried."
• Stanislaus--Merced Grape Growers Association: "This would result in the annihilation of the wine grape industry. It would cripple the raisin industry and would seriously damage the table grape industry."
• The Los Angeles Times: "It could not be enforced alcoholic liquors could be imported by parcel post from adjourning States, and the manufacturers and vendors of intoxicating liquors in adjourning States would be benefitted by the destruction of home industry in California."

Path to the ballot

See also: Signature requirements for ballot measures in California

In California, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 8 percent of the votes cast at the preceding gubernatorial election. For initiated amendments filed in 1914, at least 30,858 valid signatures were required.

See also

1914 Measures

• 1914 Measures
• Alcohol laws on the ballot
• 1914 legislative sessions

California

• California ballot measures
• California ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• California Voter Guide (November 1914)