Final answer:
Yes, Western Canadians were worried about the potential for chaos if one colony had a liberal majority and another had a conservative one, as evidenced by the tensions and political divisions during the 1917 election in Canada, leading to the formation of a Union government and riots over conscription.
Step-by-step explanation:
Were Western Canadians worried about chaos ensuing if one colony had a liberal majority and the other had a conservative one? The answer to this question would be yes. The historical context around the time of the 1917 election in Canada during World War I suggests considerable tension and concern about political stability and unity.
The creation of a Union government combining Conservatives and Liberals who believed in conscription was a direct response to the divisive issues of war effort and conscription, particularly in Quebec, which had not been contributing its fair share to the military efforts.
Riots in Montreal and Quebec City against conscription, which resulted in casualties and the need to send in troops with machine guns to restore order, are clear indicators of the intensity of the situation.
The fears that Laurier had about a split in Canada were realized during this period, and the English Canadian population's reluctance to enforce conscription due to the lack of feeling tied to their country of origin, along with French Canadians feeling like second-class citizens, exacerbated the divide.
Thus, political tensions coupled with the need to maintain social order and address the complexities of governing a diverse population weighed heavily on Canadians, reflecting concerns that a political split could lead to chaos.