Saionji, who learned liberalism while he studied in Paris, became committed to Democratic Rights Movement, and on March 18, 1881, he became the president of "Toyo Jiyu Shinbun" journal company, which was founded with the goal of establishing the Liberal Party, and he became involved in its publications along with Chomin NAKAE and Masahisa MATSUDA.
パリ留学で自由思想を学んだ西園寺は自由民権運動に傾倒し、明治14年（1881年）3月18日には、自由党結党に向けて創刊された『東洋自由新聞』の社長となり、中江兆民、松田正久らと共に発行に携わる。