It was on this day in 1894 that Congress passed a little goody named the "Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act." This act contained a provision for a graduated, progressive income tax. This occurred about 46 years after such a tax was called for in Marx's "Communist Manifesto." This first attempt at a progressive income tax was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. We'll actually call that Supreme Court decision a good moment. The real bad moment came about 20 years later when the Congress presented the American people with a Constitutional amendment authorizing Marx and Engel's favorite tax. I think you know the rest of the story.
