西園寺公望
An anarchist faction had firmly emerged within the socialist movement, largely due to Kōtoku's influence. Nevertheless, united organisations between anarchists and the more reformist social democrats still existed, such as the Japan Socialist Party which had been founded in 1906. This organisation had pledged to advocate socialism only within the limits of the law, and had been permitted to do so by the more moderate government of Saionji Kinmochi. Sakai Toshihiko also made great effort to reunite anarchists and socialists to restart the publishing of "Heimin Shinbun", which he managed to do in January 1907.