Well, the fact that a theory is complex and unwieldy is no reason to abandon it, unless a simpler more elegant theory can (at least) equally well explain the observations. And Maxwell did not have such an alternate theory (nor did anyone else).
A good many of the scientists of the day were unhappy about the aether theory, (it was getting very frayed at the edges, so to speak), but , until Einstein came along, no-one could suggest a more elegant alternative.
So, I suggest, Maxwell (and his contemporaries) will stick with aether, unless Maxwell (or someone else) can some up with Einsteins work a couple of generations earlier.