They used the word "minto" to call themselves with the consciousness that they were the real representatives of the people, and they regarded their opponents as the group having a cozy relationship with the government officials and despised the group by calling it "rito" (literally, the parties of the government officials, it is the discriminatory term used by the members and supporters of minto).
彼らは自分達こそが国民・民衆の代表であるとする意識から、「民党」という言葉を用い、反対勢力を政府官吏と癒着した勢力と看做して「吏党」と呼んで卑下した。