Ben Salmon
Encyclopedia
Ben Joseph Salmon was an American Christian pacifist
, Roman Catholic, conscientious objector
and outspoken critic of Just War
theology.
Salmon was born and raised in a working-class Catholic family, and became an office clerk with the Colorado and Southern Railroad. Outraged by the Ludlow Massacre, he became more active in populist causes such as unionism and the single tax.
When President Woodrow Wilson
ordered a draft, Salmon was one of a number of Americans to refuse to cooperate. On June 5, 1917, Salmon wrote in a letter to President Wilson:
Salmon was arrested in January 1918 for refusing to complete a Selective Service questionnaire. While out on bail, he was re-arrested for refusing to report for induction. He was locked in guardhouse for refusing to wear uniform and work in the yard. Despite not having been inducted, he was court-martialed at Camp Dodge
, Iowa on July 24, 1918, charged with desertion and spreading propaganda. He was sentenced to death, but later re-sentenced to 25 years hard labor. He arrived at Fort Leavenworth
on October 9, 1918 to start his sentence, just one month before World War I ended on November 11, 1918. He began a hunger strike
"for liberty or death" on July 13, 1920. The government claimed that his fast was a symptom of mental illness and sent him to a ward reserved for the "criminally insane" at St. Elizabeths Hospital
in Washington, D.C. on July 31, 1920.
The fledgling American Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU) eventually took up his case, and the tide of post-war public opinion, favored the release of conscientious objectors. Salmon was pardoned and released on November 26, 1920, and given a dishonorable discharge from the military service he had never joined.
Upon his release, Salmon led a quiet life with his family but his prison ordeal, which included beatings and force-feeding
s, had permanently damaged his health. He died of pneumonia in 1932.
Farley along with the majority of Catholic Bishops supported President Wilson citing the just war teaching of the Church. Salmon, however, objected to this teaching hand writing a 200-page manuscript critiquing the church's just war theology during his time in St. Elizabeths Hospital. His only reference tools were a bible and The Catholic Encyclopedia. In the manuscript, Salmon cited Christ's blessing of the “peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9) and the “merciful” (Matthew 5:7) and noted that Jesus said “Do not murder” (Matthew 19:18). He declared there was no such thing as just war and urged Christians to "listen to the voice of Christ echoed from the pages of the New Testament."
Salmon cited his Catholic faith as the reason for his steadfast pacifism and refusal to cooperate in the business of war. In this he suffered opposition from his church, whose de facto head in America, Archbishop of Baltimore had directed that all Catholics were to support the war. Even when Salmon was sick and in prison, priests refused him the Sacraments.
Today, Salmon has been cited as an inspiration for other Catholic pacifists, such as Fathers Daniel Berrigan
and John Dear
.
Christian pacifism
Christian pacifism is the theological and ethical position that any form of violence is incompatible with the Christian faith. Christian pacifists state that Jesus himself was a pacifist who taught and practiced pacifism, and that his followers must do likewise.There have been various notable...
, Roman Catholic, conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
and outspoken critic of Just War
Just War
Just war theory is a doctrine of military ethics of Roman philosophical and Catholic origin, studied by moral theologians, ethicists and international policy makers, which holds that a conflict ought to meet philosophical, religious or political criteria.-Origins:The concept of justification for...
theology.
Salmon was born and raised in a working-class Catholic family, and became an office clerk with the Colorado and Southern Railroad. Outraged by the Ludlow Massacre, he became more active in populist causes such as unionism and the single tax.
When President Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
ordered a draft, Salmon was one of a number of Americans to refuse to cooperate. On June 5, 1917, Salmon wrote in a letter to President Wilson:
Salmon was arrested in January 1918 for refusing to complete a Selective Service questionnaire. While out on bail, he was re-arrested for refusing to report for induction. He was locked in guardhouse for refusing to wear uniform and work in the yard. Despite not having been inducted, he was court-martialed at Camp Dodge
Camp Dodge
Camp Dodge is a military installation in the city of Johnston, Iowa. Centrally located near the capitol of Iowa, it currently serves as the headquarters of the Iowa National Guard. Original construction of the post began in 1907, to provide a place for the National Guard units to train...
, Iowa on July 24, 1918, charged with desertion and spreading propaganda. He was sentenced to death, but later re-sentenced to 25 years hard labor. He arrived at Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
on October 9, 1918 to start his sentence, just one month before World War I ended on November 11, 1918. He began a hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
"for liberty or death" on July 13, 1920. The government claimed that his fast was a symptom of mental illness and sent him to a ward reserved for the "criminally insane" at St. Elizabeths Hospital
St. Elizabeths Hospital
St. Elizabeths Hospital is a psychiatric hospital operated by the District of Columbia Department of Mental Health. It was the first large-scale, federally-run psychiatric hospital in the United States. Housing several thousand patients at its peak, St. Elizabeths had a fully functioning...
in Washington, D.C. on July 31, 1920.
The fledgling American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
(ACLU) eventually took up his case, and the tide of post-war public opinion, favored the release of conscientious objectors. Salmon was pardoned and released on November 26, 1920, and given a dishonorable discharge from the military service he had never joined.
Upon his release, Salmon led a quiet life with his family but his prison ordeal, which included beatings and force-feeding
Force-feeding
Force-feeding is the practice of feeding a person or an animal against their will. "Gavage" is supplying a nutritional substance by means of a small plastic tube passed through the nose or mouth into the stomach, not explicitly 'forcibly'....
s, had permanently damaged his health. He died of pneumonia in 1932.
Opposition from the Catholic Church
Though Salmon was and remained a faithful Catholic, his own Church abandoned him. In the book, Eleven Modern Mystics which contains a chapter on Ben Salmon, author Victor M. Parachin writes:Farley along with the majority of Catholic Bishops supported President Wilson citing the just war teaching of the Church. Salmon, however, objected to this teaching hand writing a 200-page manuscript critiquing the church's just war theology during his time in St. Elizabeths Hospital. His only reference tools were a bible and The Catholic Encyclopedia. In the manuscript, Salmon cited Christ's blessing of the “peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9) and the “merciful” (Matthew 5:7) and noted that Jesus said “Do not murder” (Matthew 19:18). He declared there was no such thing as just war and urged Christians to "listen to the voice of Christ echoed from the pages of the New Testament."
Salmon cited his Catholic faith as the reason for his steadfast pacifism and refusal to cooperate in the business of war. In this he suffered opposition from his church, whose de facto head in America, Archbishop of Baltimore had directed that all Catholics were to support the war. Even when Salmon was sick and in prison, priests refused him the Sacraments.
Today, Salmon has been cited as an inspiration for other Catholic pacifists, such as Fathers Daniel Berrigan
Daniel Berrigan
Daniel Berrigan, SJ is an American Catholic priest, peace activist, and poet. Daniel and his brother Philip were for a time on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list for their involvement in antiwar protests during the Vietnam war....
and John Dear
John Dear
John Dear is an American Catholic priest, Christian pacifist, author and lecturer. He has been arrested over 75 times in acts of nonviolent civil disobedience against war, injustice and nuclear weapons.-Studies:...
.