'The Order of the Day; or, Unions and Fenians', 1867. This cartoon shows Murder rallying all her forces of evil. She tramples on the laws of the land whilst the men of Sheffield gather their steel and arms on the left, and the Fenians prepare their guns on the right. The trade union movement was still very young. Unions were still relatively small and their reputation was not altogether unblemished. The 1860s had seen a number of outrages and, in Sheffield, a system of intimidation of workers in order to force them into membership had finally resulted in one non-unionist's home being blown up. An enquiry held by examiners appointed by the Trades Union Commission into the Sheffield case had been followed by a similar Enquiry into Trade Union activities in Manchester, which again showed evidence of systematic intimidation, violence and outrage. At the same time, a special commission was opened in Manchester for the trial of 26 Fenians charged with being involved in the cold-blooded killing of Policeman Brett during an attack on a police van. From Punch, or the London Charivari, October 12, 1867.
World Europe United Kingdom England South Yorkshire Sheffield Sheffield
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