Temperance Movement PSA

                Withington, William. A Temperance Bowling Alley, for the Maine Law. 1852. Brown University, Center for Digital Initiatives.  http://library.brown.edu/cds/catalog/catalog.php?verb=render&colid=7&id=1091557147718750 (accessed December 25, 2013).

In A Temperance Bowling Alley, for the Maine Law, William Withington describes the success of Maine’s temperance law and how other states should follow in Maine’s footsteps.  William Withington was from Jackson, Michigan and was a Civil War officer, republican state representative, senator, and owned a manufacturing company called the Withington & Cooley Manufacturing Company.  Being a fairly successful and important and most likely educated man, Withington is a fairly reliable source.  His ultimate political agenda is unknown which could cause this source to be unreliable to some degree.  In this source, Withington is trying to convince other states to adopt similar temperance laws as Maine.  He asks for women to help and says the laws and the movement will benefit them.  He wants alcohol to stop “ruling” the country as it had been during the early 19^th century.  The country’s alcohol consumption was extremely high causing many problems in society, especially domestic violence against women.  Withington feels that the temperance movement is like a bowling game.  Maine has gotten the ball rolling and other states need to all follow until the game ends.  Withington is very passionate and uses rhyming and the bowling analogy to convince other states and especially the “ladies” to continue the temperance movement until all states follow Maine’s lead.