Who was anti temperance in the 1800s?

In general, the political and economic elite, merchants, and some workers were more likely to be anti-temperance in the 1800s. Many of these groups opposed temperance because they believed it would hurt their business interests. For example, merchants who sold alcohol feared that temperance laws would lead to a decrease in sales, while some workers worried that temperance would lead to job losses in the alcohol industry. Additionally, some political and economic elites opposed temperance because they believed it violated the principle of individual liberty.