The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-09

The services at the First Baptist
church yesterday were of highly in
1eresting character. In the morning
Or. r. R. Williams Who for years
past has labored among the Telegua
people in India, spoke interestingly of
his work among the dusly inhabitants
Of that land. Last evening, Valpulla
Johan, a native Telegram who has been
converted by DR.. Williams, spoke in
terestingiy of his conversion. While
he has only been in this country for
two months he showed surprising
knowledge of the English language.
He also told the story Of the prodigal
son and recited the Lords prayer in
his native tongue.
Rev. Johan is a professor in the
Baptist seminary at Ramapotatam and
is regarded as one of the ablest ex-
Founders of the gospel among his peo-
pie.
The following paper on the condi-
tons of Indie, written by himself, was
read by DR.. Steelman last night:
According to the sacred books of
India, there are four castles or classes
Of people. These four castles were
born of Brahma.
First-There is the Brahma caste
These are said to have been born in
Brahma's face. Therefore they are
the highest class, and they alone must
read the sacred books. Others must
hear but may not read. They are said
to be sinle.5s but others are sinners,
and must make "dundum'' to the
Brahmins: that is. must slip off their
shoes, uncover their heads. and taking
their headcloth between their hands,
bow the head low. To give grain,
clothes or money to Brahmin is a
work Of merit. Brahmins are the great
scholars of India. They are the
writers of the books. They are the
priests in the temples. Now, under
the English government they are the
men who occupy all the highest places
given to native people. The Brahmins
greatly hinder the work of mission
aries in India. They lead the people
into the ways Of idolatry and sin.
Second-The second class of people
is the king caste These are said to
have been born in Brahma's shoulders.
Therefore they are to rule as kings.
Now, the government of India having
fallen into the hands of the English.
they have no power. A few rule in
name only by permission of the Eng
hSh. but most of them live by farming.
Third-The third great class is the
merchant caste. These are said to
have been born in Brahma's thighs.
They must live by trade They are
the rich men of the country. Besides
trade they lend money and very many
are under their yoke through debt
FouEth-The fourth great class is the
Sudra caste These, it is said, were
born in the feet of Brahma. therefore
they are inferior to the other three
castles and they must live by farming.
These are chiefly the holders of the
land
According to the sacred books these
four castles only were born of Brahma.
burt in fact there are among them
divisions and differences without num-
Der. Nevertheless, these all build
their houses close together, live as
neighbors and drink the water of one
Well. But they do not go freely into
each others houses and they never eat
together. They never give to each
other their sons and daughters in mar
riage. AS for the Brahmins none of
the other castles may touch them.
Although the four castles we have
spoken Of are the only ones about !
whom anything is said in the sacred /
books of the Brahmins, there are in I.
truth two other large classes. These |
are called the Malas and the Madigas.
They are regarded by the others as
outcasts and are held in a sort of |
slavery These, again, will not mix |
together viii not eat together. will |
not drink from the same well and |
never inter-marry. Between these two |
classes there is much quarreling. each !
desiring to be before the other. If |
You go TO my country you will see in
every place these two classes living /
outside the villag proper end not mix /
lllg with the village people. The caste |
people VIII not allow them to live in
The village for they must not touch (
the caste people nor come near then.
These poor people all-men, women /
and children must work every dav |
from morning to night. The Malas are |
Uhe weaVers. If they weave eight |
yards OF cloth they receive s annas, or /
about 10 cents for their work
The Madigas are the shoemakers.
They also make the leather buckets
Tor drawing water to water the fields
and they make the harness for the /
bulloeks. They must provide their /
own leather and do the work for a |
year IN advance. They then receive in /
harvest time from the landholder for.
whom they work, a small quantity of |
grain-even this is not given fairly. \
The landholder will say, You did not /
work for me faithfully the past year"
you did not send your bow 10 beln
take care of my CATTLE you have not |
Yet made the shoes for my herdsman;;' /
with such fault finding as this they
put the poor man off and give him less
grain than was promised.
As there is not enough weaving and !
leather work TO keep all the people /
occupied, nor yet enough for their sup /
port, some go into the fields and labor.
whenever there is work For this work 4
the daily pay is a measure of grain /
about equal to pints.
From all l have said YOU can plainly /
see why these two classes of people 1
are very poor. And it is from these 1
two classes that nearly all of the
Telugu Christians have come.
Perhaps some of you will ask
why they cannot get land of
their own and live by farming,
This they would like very much
to do, but the landholders will
not allow them to get land, for they
know very well that if they have land I
of their own they will not any longer
be oSedient to them. As it is there
are many things which they are ex-
pected to do without pay If these are
not done the landholders make them
great deal of trouble
Perhaps you will ask why they can
not make their living by trade Re
they are outcasts, they must
live outside the village The caste
people viii not go to their houses nor
touch anything belonging to them.
They may not come nearer TO a Rrah-