| Secret Ballot on Prohibition and Soldiers’ Bonus No Signature—No Condition—No Obligation Mark and Mail at Once | |||
| PROHIBITION: (Put a cross (x) in the square only opposite the policy you favor) | |||
| A. Do you favor the continuance and strict enforcement of the Eighteenth Amendment and Volstead Law? | |||
| B. Do you favor a modification of the Volstead Law to permit light wines and beers? | |||
| C. Do you favor a repeal of the Prohibition Amendment? | |||
| Mark (X) in ONE Square Only | |||
| SOLDIERS’ BONUS: (Put a cross (x) in the square) | |||
| Yes | No | ||
| Do you favor a Federal Bonus for all American Soldiers and Sailors who wore the Uniform during the World War? | |||
| It is important to Mark and Return This Ballot Immediately. | |||
Every precaution was taken to obviate dishonesty; but I suppose as there never was an election without trouble at the polls—it would be expecting too much of human beings to believe otherwise—so in this solicitation there may have been a few duplicate votes to swell the general average, one way or the other. Yet the Digest had confidence in the returns; and through their canvass of the various States we have come to see that there are not only “wets” and “drys,” but a third enormous party of what we might call “moists.” By this term is meant the people who wish a modification of the Volstead Act, permitting the sale of light wines and beer. Indeed, this party predominated in the final returns.
The Anti-Saloon League has scorned the Digest’s figures; yet one has a feeling that if the showing had been in favor of a strict observance and upholding of the present Prohibition law, a different attitude might have been observed on its part. It is but human, after all, to wish the tide to turn in the direction one has spiritedly advocated. Even the “moists” must have been surprised at their own brilliant showing.
It was in July, 1922, that the first reports were made; and the Digest was amazed when the ballots of the first hundred thousand poured in.
Those in favor of a strict enforcement numbered 32,445.
Those in favor of a modification numbered 39,665.
Those in favor of a repeal of the Prohibition Amendment numbered 22,547.
As to the Soldiers’ Bonus, the vote was almost even. Yes, 46,609. No, 47,469.
“Dampness seems to predominate,” the Digest said. “The most startling fact revealed by this first tally is that the early voters are against the continuance and enforcement of the present Prohibition law by the proportion of nearly two to one. On the other hand, the voters show themselves in favor of the Prohibition Amendment, or, in other words, in favor of some sort of a Prohibition law, by the even larger ratio of 72,000 to 22,500.”
The editors were exceedingly fair in their appraisement of conditions. They stated that “In Kansas, the votes run 111 for strict enforcement, 34 for modification and 14 for repeal of the Amendment. Thus the Prohibitionists, it is seen, outnumber the combined ‘moists’ and ‘wets’ by almost three to one, a situation that is duplicated in no other State. Since this early vote was tabulated, a large number of returns have come in for Kansas and, even though we may be anticipating next week’s report of votes, it may be mentioned that this large vote is a striking verification of the conditions indicated by the small vote shown here. Kansas is for Prohibition, by approximately three to one. It is a significant fact, also, that this State has tried a dry régime for a number of years, and knows better than most others how it works.”