Constitutional Party - Kensei Honto

A political party in the late Meiji period. In 1898 (Meiji 31), the Constitutional Party split, and the party was formed on November 3rd, mainly by the old progressive faction. In the 13th Diet, they launched a nationwide campaign against the government's proposal to increase land taxes, and in 1900 (Meiji 33), Okuma Shigenobu became prime minister to stop the unrest within the party caused by the formation of the Rikken Seiyukai Party by Ito Hirobumi. The following year, the party supported a tax increase proposal under the pretext of compensating for the costs of the Boxer Rebellion, causing over 30 people to defect from the party, weakening its influence. As an opposition party to the first Katsura Taro cabinet, the party demanded the reorganization of administration and finances, and before the Russo-Japanese War, they strengthened their opposition character by forming an alliance with the Seiyukai Party, but when the war began, they supported it and worked to raise huge war funds and pass related bills. When the contents of the Russo-Japanese Peace Treaty became clear in 1805 (Meiji 38), the party launched a nationwide anti-peace movement in opposition to it. Even after the war, the party's influence as an opposition party was weak, and in 1807, Okuma retired as party leader. From around June of the following year, a movement to unite non-Seiyukai parties arose to counter the Seiyukai Party, but the aims of each party did not match, and within the party, there was a conflict between the reformists led by Oishi Masami, who tried to approach the bureaucratic faction led by Katsura Taro and Oura Kanetake, and the non-reformists led by Inukai Tsuyoshi, who wanted to maintain the principles of the Democratic Party. The power of the reformists weakened after the Nitto Scandal in 1809, and on March 13, 1810, the party merged with the Yuushinkai, Mumeikai, and part of the former Boshin Club to form the Rikken Kokuminto.

[Uno Shunichi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治時代後期の政党。1898年（明治31）憲政党が分裂し、11月3日旧進歩派が中心となって結成した。第13議会では政府提出の地租増徴案に反対して全国的な運動を展開、1900年（明治33）伊藤博文(ひろぶみ)の立憲政友会の結成に伴う党内動揺を食い止めるため大隈重信(おおくましげのぶ)が総理に就任した。翌年義和団(ぎわだん)事件の戦費補填(ほてん)を名目とする増税案に賛成したため、30余名の脱党者を出して党勢は弱体化した。第一次桂(かつら)太郎内閣に対しては野党として行財政の整理を要求、日露戦争前には政友会と提携して野党色を強めたが、開戦とともに戦争を支持し、莫大(ばくだい)な戦費の捻出と関係法案の成立に努めた。05年（明治38）日露講和条約の内容が判明すると、これに反対して全国的な非講和運動を展開した。戦後も野党として党勢振るわず、07年には大隈の党首引退となった。翌08年6月ごろから政友会に対抗するため非政友合同の運動が起こるが、各党の思惑は一致せず、党内にも、桂太郎・大浦兼武(かねたけ)らの官僚派に接近しようとする大石正巳(まさみ)らの改革派と、犬養毅(いぬかいつよし)らの民党主義を堅持しようとする非改革派が対立した。09年日糖(にっとう)疑獄事件を契機に改革派の勢力は衰え、10年3月13日、又新(ゆうしん)会、無名会や旧戊申倶楽部(ぼしんくらぶ)の一部と合同して立憲国民党を結成した。

［宇野俊一］

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