Daily Kennebec Journal

Why Some Fail to Vote
The Kennebec Journal:
Mr. Editor:

I have watched the present campaign mostly with the object of learning why so many fail to vote. I think it is not apathy or indifference so much as "I don't know which is best". Many people do not read or cannot understand if they do read, so as to get a clear understanding of the situation.

Years ago the newspapers were more partizan than now. Here in Waldo the Age and Journal were opposite in politics, the same with the Bangor papers. the Whig and Commercial, also Portland Press and Argus. In Kennebec there was the Journal, as now. and was it the "Standard," before the New Age? Anyway Mr. Eben F. Pillsbury was the editor. Well the members of either party had such confidence in their political papers and their editors that they accepted their opinions as just right and voted accordingly.

I can remember back to when Blaine used to send his famous midnight dispatch etc. In those years what Blaine said on any subject was accepted as "Law and Gospel" by the Republicans of Maine. Now it is not the same; there is now no paper or man who has the confidence of the voters to such an extent and hence the failure to vote because "I don't know". Further back the N.Y. Tribune was Law and Gospel. My father always took the Tribune as did almost everyone. They would follow the Tribune and Greeley about so far but there was a limit. As long as those old veterans felt that the paper was on the right course they accepted its leadership on all matters political. But when the paper got off the course they refused to follow.

The first presidential election I can remember was 1872.
Well on the matter of papers old and new and their influence....: I hope to read an editorial in the Journal. I used to write for your letter box but it is much more satisfactory to write to you and let you treat the subject, You can express the finer shades of meaning so much better than I can.