According to the opinion of Shusui KOTOKU, who wrote the biography of Chomin NAKAE, Nakae first used the words "Minto and Rito" in "Rikken Jiyu Shinbun" (the Constitutional Liberal Press) which was the publication of the Liberal Party (in Japan) and the Constitutional Liberal Party (the party for the reunification of the Liberal Party between 1890 to 1898 in Japan, later renamed "the Liberal Party") and the words spread out later.
中江兆民の伝記を書いた幸徳秋水の説によれば、中江が自由党(日本)立憲自由党(日本1890-1898)（自由党再統合のための受け皿となった政党、後に「自由党」と改称）の機関紙『立憲自由新聞』の中で「民党・吏党」という呼称を用いたのが広まったとする説を唱えている。