Ceremony launching Tohoku District Office of the Kenseito in Sendai, April 1899 (Meiji32) Papers of HOSHI Toru, #292

The 3rd ITO Cabinet had presented a proposal to the 12th Diet to raise land taxes, but it was overwhelmingly defeated in the House of Representatives. In response, the Government dissolved the House of Representatives, but that action only served to strengthen the sense of partnership between the Liberal Party and the Shinpoto (Progressive Party). The result was the Kenseito (Constitutional Party) on 22 June 1898 (Meiji 31). Three days later, on 25 June ITO met OKUMA and ITAGAKI, informing them of his intent to hand over the reins of government, and thus the 1st OKUMA Cabinet (the Waihan Cabinet,) was born on 30 June.

The platform proclaimed by the new party, however, appeared to be nothing more than a simple stitching together of the different positions of the original Liberal Party and Progressive Parties with, the two sides failing to coordinate their policies, showing that the partnership glossed over internal conflicts. For that reason, when the Minister of Education OZAKI resigned following the so-called 'Republican Speech Incident,' the former Liberal Party and Shinpoto factions feuded as to his successor. As a result, the Constitutional Party split, with the old Liberal Party faction becoming the Kenseito (Constitutional Party), and the old Shinpoto faction calling itself the Kensei Honto (Real Constitutional Party). The Cabinet also resigned en masse on 30 October owing to the internal disharmony.