As we have pointed out elsewhere, the only real obstacle
is the trade. There may be a little grumbling amongst individuals, which will be spread amongst all classes and by no means, of course, confined to working men. But such grumbling will have very little force, for the grumblers will know in their heart of hearts that they ought to be willing to make a small personal sacrifice even if in their own opinion they thereby add very little to the power of the nation. With the trade it is very different. They fear ruin, and are willing to go to great lengths in order to protect what to thousands of families is, or seems to be, a life-and- death interest. Therefore the trade must be bought out. When we say this we want to make it clear that we have a complete sympathy of comprehension with what we have called the trade opposition. It may be a bad thing, or an unwise thing, for men to live by such a trade as the sale of intoxicants, but that is not the practical question.
