California Proposition 22, Alcohol Prohibition Initiative (1918)

California Proposition 22
Election date November 5, 1918
Topic Alcohol
Status d Defeated
Type State statute	Origin Citizens

California Proposition 22 was on the ballot as an initiated state statute in California on November 5, 1918. It was defeated.

A “yes” vote supported declaring the manufacturing, importing, and selling of alcohol (except denatured alcohol) a misdemeanor and establishing punishments for such misdemeanor.

A “no” vote opposed declaring the manufacturing, importing, and selling of alcohol (except denatured alcohol) a misdemeanor and establishing punishments for such misdemeanor.

Election results

California Proposition 22
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		275,643	47.35%
No		306,488	52.65%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Proposition 22 was as follows:

“

Prohibition

”

Ballot summary

The ballot summary for this measure was:

“

Initiative Act. Declares that every person, firm or corporation which manufactures, imports or sells intoxicating liquors after December 31, 1918, except denatured alcohol, shall be guilty of misdemeanor punishable by twenty-five dollars fine and twenty-five days imprisonment for first offense, and by fifty dollars fine and fifty days imprisonment for second offense, and by one hundred dollars fine and one hundred days imprisonment for each subsequent offense.

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Support

Arguments

• The Dry Campaign Committee: "The good people of Needles have the last chance to swat Old King Rum, the Kaiser's chum...This will forever settle the SALOON question in California."

Opposition

Arugments

• California Grape Protective Association: "Our grape growers need those six months offered by Congress to adjust themselves to "war-time" prohibition. We believe the people of California by a great majority sentiment, will refuse to discriminate against their own State and will protest to the end against the destruction of our great grape industry which has been fostered and encouraged for more than half a century."
• Candidate for Governor, Theodore A. Bell (Independent): "Proposition No. 22 would dry up California with her 350,000 acres in grapes on January 1, 1919. Our grape growers need those six months to adjust themselves to "war-time" prohibition."

Path to the ballot

See also: Signature requirements for ballot measures in California

In California, the number of signatures required for an initiated state statute is equal to 8 percent. For initiated statutes filed in 1918, at least 74,136 valid signatures were required.

See also

1918 Measures

• 1918 Measures
• Alcohol laws on the ballot
• 1918 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 1918)