The reason why he did not resign was that because Shojiro GOTO, head of the Council of the Left, with whom Masaharu was in conflict, stepped down from official post, Masaharu, then deputy head of the Council of the Left, was promoted to the head instead.
下野しなかった理由として、対立していた左院議長の後藤象二郎が下野したことで、同副議長の伊地知が代わって議長に就任したためである。