Protection is but the law of nature, the law of self-preservation, of self-development, of securing the highest and best destiny of the race of man. [It is said] that protection is immoral ... Why, if protection builds up and elevates 63,000,000 [the U.S. population] of people, the influence of those 63,000,000 of people elevates the rest of the world. We cannot take a step in the pathway of progress without benefiting mankind everywhere. Well, they say, "Buy where you can buy the cheapest" ... Of course, that applies to labor as to everything else. Let me give you a maxim that is a thousand times better than that, and it is the protection maxim: "Buy where you can pay the easiest."And that spot of earth is where labor wins its highest rewards.

William McKinley, speech made October 4, 1892, Boston, Massachusetts

McKinley took his congressional seat in October 1877, when President Hayes summoned Congress into special session.[c] With the Republicans in the minority, McKinley was given unimportant committee assignments, which he undertook conscientiously.[52] McKinley's friendship with Hayes did McKinley little good on Capitol Hill, as the president was not well regarded by many leaders there.