CS Knowledge Base

James Young (July 18, 1866 – April 29, 1942) was an American politician and lawyer. A Democrat, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas.

Young was born on July 18, 1866, on a farm near Henderson, Texas.^[1] He had five siblings.^[2] In July 1891, he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. The same year, he was admitted to the bar, after which he began practicing in Kaufman.^[3] He also operated a farm. He married Allie Nash, with whom he had two children.^[1]

Young was a Democrat. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives, from March 4, 1911, to March 3, 1921, representing Texas's 3rd district.^[3] While serving, he was a member of the Committee on Agriculture,^[1] as which he fought against the price fixing of cotton and against the quarantining of Texas cotton, which was infested with fink bollworm at the time.^[2]

Young declined running in the following election. He was an unsuccessful candidate in the 1930 Texas gubernatorial election.^[3] He lost the Democratic primary to Ross S. Sterling and ran as an independent, receiving 73,385 votes.^[4] Ideologically, he was liberal.^[5] He supported Prohibition. He opposed income tax,^[1] instead favoring taxes on companies; he ran on the promise of such in his gubernatorial campaign.^[6]

After serving in Congress, Young returned to practicing law in Kaufman. In 1931, he moved back to Henderson. He retired in 1937, subsequently moving to Dallas.^[3] He was Christian and described as "unbigoted".^[7] He died on April 29, 1942, aged 75, in Dallas, and was buried at Kaufman Cemetery.^[3][8]